With 5 lb. of dried fruit and multiple dosings of dark rum, this aged Jamaican Black Cake is a treat for certified fruitcake fans. Named for its deep, dark color, the cake often features a splash of browning sauce—a burnt sugar syrup commonly used in Caribbean cooking for color and flavor—in the batter. In her version, chef Millie Peartree uses molasses instead. In a departure from other fruitcakes, the Caribbean version features puréed dried fruit rather than whole. Aging the cake for at least 2 weeks is imperative: The moisture is redistributed during the downtime and helps the cake feel rich and squishy rather than pasty. The final result is a cake with the texture of a plump Medjool date, somewhere between dense, silky, and chewy. This traditional Jamaican dessert is a fixture around the holidays, but is so beloved it’s often served at weddings and celebrations all year round.
Ingredients
Makes two 9″ cakes
Dried Fruit
1½
1
1
1
8
2
1½
Cake and Assembly
½
½
3
2
2
1½
1
1
1
1
8
2
2
1
½
Preparation
-
Dried Fruit
Step 1
Toss 1½ lb. unsweetened dried cranberries, 1 lb. dark raisins, 1 lb. dried mango, 1 lb. pitted prunes, and 8 oz. golden raisins in a large airtight container to combine. Pour in 2 cups dark rum and 1½ cups red wine; firmly press down on fruit to submerge. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 2 days and up to 1 week.
Step 2
Working in batches, pulse soaked fruit in a food processor until a coarse paste forms.
-
Cake and Assembly
Step 3
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 250°. Coat two 9″-diameter cake pans with nonstick vegetable oil spray and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Bring ½ cup dark rum and ½ cup robust-flavored (dark) molasses to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium and cook, stirring often, until thick enough to coat a spoon and reduced to ½ cup, 7–10 minutes. Let cool until barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, whisk 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1½ tsp. ground allspice, 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon in a medium bowl to combine.
Step 5
Beat 1 cup (packed; 200 g) dark brown sugar and 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add 8 large eggs, room temperature, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally (batter may look curdled—that’s okay). Turn off mixer and add zest of 1 orange, zest of 1 lime, 2 tsp. fresh lime juice, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 tsp. Angostura bitters (if using), and ½ tsp. almond extract. Beat on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, beating on low speed until just combined after each addition.
Step 6
Using a rubber spatula, fold dried fruit paste and cooled rum mixture into batter, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl, until combined. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans (batter will come up to the top of pan); smooth top with a small offset spatula.
Step 7
Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center emerges with few moist crumbs attached (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register 190°), 2½–3 hours. Transfer pans to a wire rack; immediately brush cakes with rum. Let cakes cool in pans, brushing with rum every 10 minutes for the first 30 minutes (4 times in all), about 2 hours.
Step 8
Run a small knife around edges of cakes to loosen, then invert onto rack. Wrap each cake tightly with parchment paper, then plastic wrap. Let sit at cool room temperature at least 2 weeks and up to 1 month.
