Black Cake

Name: Black Cake
Yield: 3 (9-inch) cakes
Ingredients: 2 cups currants; 2 cups pitted prunes; 2 cups raisins; 3 cups cherry brandy; 3 cups white rum; 2 cups all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; 2½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 cup evaporated milk; ½ cup unsalted butter; 3 teaspoons mixed essence; 3 teaspoon vegetable oil; 4 tablespoons browning; 1½ cups caster sugar; 4 eggs; 1 cup Maraschino cherries; 4 cups soaked fruits; food processor; Stand mixer; Wire rack

User Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Excellent

Servings
3 (9-inch) cakes
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
Caribbean

Black Cake

Parker Hill

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A black cake, as it is called in Trinidad, is a type of dessert cake which contains soaked fruits and rum, typically associated with Christmas throughout the Caribbean.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the soaked fruits

2 cups currants
2 cups pitted prunes
2 cups raisins
3 cups cherry brandy (or fruity wine or fruit-flavored brandy)
3 cups white rum

For the dry ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

For the wet ingredients

1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup unsalted butter , melted
3 teaspoons mixed essence (or vanilla)
3 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 tablespoons browning (Kitchen Bouquet brand)

For the cake

1½ cups caster sugar
4 eggs (at room temperature)
1 cup Maraschino cherries , cut in half
4 cups soaked fruits (recipe below)

Equipment

food processor
Stand mixer
Wire rack

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Instructions

Soaked fruits

Add all the fruits with the rum and brandy to a food processor. Pulse together about 3 to 5 times, depending on the desired chunkiness of the fruits.
Pour the chopped fruits to a large container and cover tightly. Place in a cool, dry place to sit for up to a year, periodically turning and adding more rum throughout the year.
For this black cake recipe, the fruits can soak for 4 days before use.

Cake

Preheat the oven to 250 F (120˚C). Grease and flour the cake pans.
Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat for 1 minute on medium to high speed.
Slowly add in the caster sugar and continue to beat eggs and sugar on maximum speed for 5 minutes until the batter has doubled in size or it is light and fluffy. This process adds air into the batter.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt to a sifter and sift into the bowl.
In a microwavable bowl or measuring cup, add the wet ingredients (milk, butter, mixed essence and oil) and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Do not do this step ahead of time. The milk mixture has to be hot.
After beating the eggs and sugar together, slowly add in the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed. Once all the flour has been incorporated, turn off the mixer.
Take a cup of the batter and add it to the milk mixture and mix until there are no more lumps.
Turn the mixer back on to low speed and pour the milk mixture into the remaining batter. Mix until well combined.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add in the soaked fruits, maraschino cherries and browning. Mix by hand until fully combined and no streaks of browning is visible.
Pour batter into the three cake pans. Only fill each pan ½ way up. Knock the cake pans on the counter a few times to let any air bubbles out.
Place the cakes in the oven for 1 hour at 250 F (120˚C).
After 1 hour, reduce the heat to 225 F (105˚C) and bake for an additional hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out dry. The sides of the cake should also pull away from the pan.
Remove from the oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow the cakes to cool fully in the pans before removing them, as they are heavy and dense.

Notes

Brown sugar can be used as a substitute for caster sugar. If using brown sugar, grind it up in the food processor before use.
Eggs must be room temperature. If not, add them to a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before cracking them open.