Black Cake (Guyanese Rum-Soaked Fruit Christmas Cake)
In short: A dark, moist, richly spiced Christmas cake packed with rum-soaked fruit puree and burnt sugar, made ahead and brushed with more rum. It takes about 3 h 10 min in total and makes 16 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 2 h 30 min
- Resting
- 24 h
- Total
- 3 h 10 min
- Servings
- 16
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Black cake is the Christmas cake of Guyana, dense, dark and deeply spiced, and it also appears at weddings. Dried fruit is soaked in rum and cherry brandy for days or weeks, then blended to a thick puree and folded into a butter and egg batter colored with burnt sugar. The cake bakes slowly and is brushed with more rum while still warm. It keeps for weeks and slices best the next day.
Instructions
- Chop the raisins, currants, prunes and mixed peel finely, or pulse briefly in a food processor. Put them in a clean jar, pour over the rum and cherry brandy, cover and soak for at least 24 hours, or for weeks for a deeper flavor.
- Blend the soaked fruit and all its liquid to a thick, rough puree, adding a splash of water only if the blender stalls.
- For the burnt sugar, heat the sugar in a dry saucepan over medium heat, swirling now and then, for 6 to 8 minutes, until it turns deep mahogany and smokes lightly. Stand back and pour in the hot water, which will spit, then simmer for 2 minutes until smooth and cool.
- Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Grease a 20 cm (8 in) round cake pan, 7.5 cm (3 in) deep, and line the base and sides with a double layer of parchment.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar for 4 to 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and lime zest.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and fold them into the batter in two additions. Fold in the fruit puree and 4 tablespoons of the burnt sugar until the batter is evenly dark.
- Scrape the batter into the pan, level the top and tap the pan once on the counter. Bake for 2 to 2 1/4 hours, covering the top with foil after 1 hour if it browns too fast, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Brush the hot cake with 2 tablespoons of the finishing rum. Cool completely in the pan, brush with the remaining rum, then wrap tightly in parchment and foil and rest for at least 1 day before slicing.
Tips
- The soaked fruit gives the cake its character, so soak it as long as you can, in a sealed jar in a cool, dark cupboard. Blend it fine for a smooth crumb, or leave it rough for a more textured cake.
- Wrapped well and brushed with a little rum each week, the cake keeps for 1 month at room temperature or 6 months in the freezer. For an alcohol-free cake, soak the fruit in prune juice and keep the cake in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Questions and answers
Why is black cake so dark?
The color comes from fruit pureed with its soaking liquid, dark brown sugar and burnt sugar syrup. The long, slow bake deepens it further.
How long should the fruit soak?
At least 24 hours, but many families soak it for weeks or months. A longer soak gives a deeper, mellower flavor.
Can I make black cake without alcohol?
Yes. Soak the fruit in prune juice or cold black tea and brush the cake with the same liquid. It keeps for a shorter time, so store it in the fridge.
How long does it take to make Black Cake (Guyanese Rum-Soaked Fruit Christmas Cake)?
About 3 h 10 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 2 h 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Black Cake (Guyanese Rum-Soaked Fruit Christmas Cake)?
About 380 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 60 g of carbohydrates and 13 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 380 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 45 g |
| Sodium | 150 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
