This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Jamaican Black Cake is a rich, dense, boozy Caribbean dessert made of dried fruit soaked in rum, warm spices, and wine. Some call it rum cake, Christmas cake, wedding cake, or birthday cake. Whatever you call it, this black cake recipe is perfect for any holiday, celebration, or special occasion.
Once you learn how to make this traditional Jamaican dessert, you have to try my other black cake recipes. I have an Alcohol Free Black Cake, Vegan Black Cake, and even a recipe for Black Cake with Royal Icing (AKA Wedding Cake). Also, be sure to check out my guide for How to Soak Fruit for Christmas Cake to get started on this classic Jamaican treat!
Table of Contents
- The BEST Jamaican Black Cake
- Here’s Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- What is Black Cake?
- What is the significance of the black cake?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Jamaican Black Cake
- Recipe Notes and Tips for Success
- How to Store Jamaican Black Cake
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- More Jamaican Dessert Recipes
- See My Story Below for Step-by-Step Instructions
- Jamaican Black Cake Recipe
The BEST Jamaican Black Cake
Thanks to the Hulu show Black Cake, our beloved Jamaican dessert is getting much deserved shine. But in Jamaica, we’ve always known it’s not a celebration without rum cake!
You may have tried traditional fruit cake but not with this tasty Caribbean twist! To the unfamiliar eye, this looks like a chocolate cake but the flavour is far more complex. It has a sweet robust taste with hints of rum, sugar, spice, and plenty of fruit.
Although the ingredients used to make this rum cake recipe are important, the technique is key. It’s not simply adding the dry ingredients to the wet. I tested this Jamaican black cake recipe multiple times in order to confidently say that this is the best rum cake recipe ever!
Here’s Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Great for Special Occasions: Whether it’s Christmas Eve or New Year’s Day, this cake makes for a stunning centrepiece on your holiday table. It’s large and meant for sharing! It’s tradition to have this cake cut into little small pieces at weddings (coated in icing) or passed out in cake boxes for guests to take home after birthday parties.
- Perfectly Moist: There’s no need to worry about a dry fruit cake because the rum-infused fruit is pureed until it’s a thick and smooth consistency. Then it’s added to the batter for a deliciously moist black cake.
- As Authentic As It Gets: Some may like their rum cake on the cake-ier side but that’s not true to authentic Jamaican black cake. This cake is fruity, boozy, and moist enough to melt in your mouth.
What is Black Cake?
Black cake is a dessert made across the Caribbean, in countries like Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and of course, Jamaica. Every West Indian culture has its own recipe but at its core, black cake is made with dried fruits soaked in rum and wine, blended into a rich, spiced batter. After it is baked, you can continue to soak it with alcohol for added flavour and extended shelf life.
What is the significance of the black cake?
Jamaican black cake is a special dessert because it involves an extensive process that can take weeks to months to prepare. That is why it is usually reserved for holidays and celebrations.
Ingredients
- Salted Butter: I soften to room temperature for easier mixing. This is used in the batter and to grease the baking pan.
- Dark Brown Sugar: This adds moisture and sweetness. Make sure it is packed.
- Eggs: Use this binding ingredient at room temperature for the best results.
- Vanilla Extract: It adds delicious vanilla-y flavour.
- Browning: This is responsible for that alluring dark hue. Check out this Homemade Browning Sauce for details.
- Molasses: This sweetens the cake batter and helps to darken the cake.
- Ground Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg and Ground Allspice: These ground spices are the base of your flavour.
- All Purpose Flour: Make sure it is spooned and leveled for accurate measuring.
- Baking Powder: Provides lift and structure to this tall cake.
- Salt: To balance the flavours.
- Fruit for Christmas Cake: Soaking dried fruit rehydrates it, which contributes to a moist and flavourful cake. This process also enhances the natural flavors and adds richness and texture, making it an essential step in preparing the cake. You can add it whole or blended. I prefer to puree until smooth for an evenly moist and textured black cake.
- Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum: This is an extremely strong rum, but a Jamaican staple and classic. Add it while pureeing.
- J. Wray & Nephew Red Label Wine: to be added to fruit when pureeing as well as to keep the cake moist after baking. Alternatively, you can use a sweet red dessert wine. This has notes of candied berries, marzipan, raisins and nutmeg and even hints of dark chocolate.
- Lime: Use for juice and zest.
How to Make Jamaican Black Cake
Step One: Prep Cake Pans and Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C) and prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by greasing the bottom and sides using butter. Set aside an additional cake pan of water to be placed at the bottom of the oven during the baking process.
Step Two: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Add the butter and dark brown sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and cream on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 to 5 minutes). Set aside.
Step Three: Egg Mixture
Add eggs two at a time to another large bowl, and beat using a hand mixer or whisk until light yellow in colour and foamy on top (about 5 minutes). To the egg mixture add the vanilla, browning, molasses and gently mix using low speed (about 30 seconds). Then, add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking powder, salt, and lime zest and gently mix using low speed again (about 30 seconds).
Step Four: Mix Ingredients
Pour egg mixture into the butter-sugar mixture, and fold well with a wooden spoon until fully mixed (about 3 minutes). Then fold in the pureed fruit mixture, and lastly the flour.
Step Five: Bake
Pour cake mixture into prepared cake pan and place into the oven along with the additional cake pan of water underneath (on the bottom rack) to ensure the cake does not dry out. Bake for approximately 2 hours (baking times will vary), cake is ready when a toothpick comes out clean or almost clean after inserting into the center of the cake.
Step Six: Soak the Cake
Once the Jamaican rum cake is done, remove it from the oven. Then place the cake pan on a cooling rack. Then, pour 1/2 cup of J. Wray & Nephew Red Label wine overtop while hot. Allow to soak into cake. Then when completely cooled, remove cake from pan, slice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Tips for Success
- Use room temperature ingredients. Bring eggs and butter to room temperature about an hour before baking for better mixing and consistency.
- Blend the fruit and spirits. This is how I get a smooth texture, and avoid large fruit pieces in the cake.
- The pureed fruit should have a paste-like consistency. You’ll know the cake batter is ready for baking when a wooden spoon inserted in the middle falls slowly.
- For added moisture, place a cake pan filled with water on the oven’s bottom shelf during baking.
- This recipe yields one 9-inch cake. Double the ingredients for two cakes or halve them for a smaller 6-inch cake.
- To enhance the flavour and texture of your Jamaican black cake, add more wine or rum as needed. Let the cake sit for a week before serving to deepen the flavors. If you prefer a cakier texture, add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and 1 cup flour.
How to Store Jamaican Black Cake
Make Ahead: Jamaican rum cake is the perfect make-ahead dessert, in fact, it is highly recommended. This cake just gets better with time! See below for instructions regarding how to store the cake at room temperature, in the fridge, and in the freezer.
Room Temperature: Store leftover rum cake in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in a combination of parchment paper and aluminum foil, or just foil. Place it in a cool place, out of the sun for up to a few weeks or longer depending on how well it is preserved.
Refrigerated: If you plan to consume the cake at a much later date, considering storing in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in a combination of parchment paper and aluminum foil, or just foil in the refrigerator.
Frozen: Wrap a rum-soaked cheesecloth around the cake, followed by a combination of plastic wrap first, followed by aluminum foil. Be sure not to wrap it directly in foil because it will spoil. Freeze the rum cake for up to 6 months or longer, refreshing every 2-4 weeks with a spray bottle reserved for spritzing wine, rum, or a combination of the two.
When you want to enjoy it, let it thaw at room temperature and spray with the alcohol mixture to refresh the flavours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes. Jamaican rum cake has a mix of Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum as well as J. Wray & Nephew Red Label Wine.
Having one slice of rum cake will not make you drunk. However, it is possible to get a buzz but you would have to eat a significant amount of cake in order for that to happen.
Bake the cake at least 3-5 days or longer before serving for optimal taste and flavour.
The best rum for soaking fruit is dark or white rum in combination with sweet fruit or dessert wine. Traditionally, Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum and Red Label Wine are used for Jamaican Christmas cake.
You can start soaking your fruit in Jamaican rum months or even years in advance, but at a minimum, soak it for at least 7 days before using it in Jamaican black cake. The longer the fruit soaks, the better it matures, with the alcohol preserving it. Be sure to seal the fruit in an airtight container and add more alcohol as needed over time.
The quick soak method involves boiling 6 cups of water with 1 cup each of raisins, cranberries, mixed peel, deluxe fruit mix, and halved prunes. After bringing the mixture to a rapid boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours until the fruit is plump and the liquid has reduced. Once cooled, add equal parts rum and wine to cover the fruit, let it soak for 24 hours, and then use the fruit in your cake recipe.
More Jamaican Dessert Recipes
- Bulla Cake
- Jamaican Toto Cake (Coconut Cake)
- Grater Cake
- Jamaican Coconut Drops
- Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
If you try this Jamaican Black Cake recipe, we’d greatly appreciate if you leave us a star ★ rating, as well as some feedback in the comment section below if you found this blog post helpful and tasty!
Also, please use the hashtag #theseasonedskillet on social media for a chance to be featured, and don’t forget to keep up with TSS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest!
Lastly, sign up to our Friday weekly newsletter for the latest TSS updates, blog posts and recipes straight to your inbox.
Oh, and share, share, share with your family and friends!
See My Story Below for Step-by-Step Instructions
Jamaican Black Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch Round Cake Pan plus an additional baking pan to hold water
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer to cream the butter and sugar
- Wooden Spoon for folding in ingredients
- Large Mixing Bowl to mix egg mixture
- Measuring Cups liquid and dry, to accurately measure ingredients
- Measuring Spoons to accurately measure ingredients
- Rubber Spatula/Scraper for scraping out the cake mixture from bowl
- Whisk optional, needed if no hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Salted Butter, softened to room temp. plus more for greasing baking pan
- 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
- 6 Large Eggs, room temp.
- 2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 5 tbsp Browning, or Homemade Browning Sauce
- 2 tbsp Molasses
- 1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Ground Allspice
- 1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Fruit for Christmas Cake, pureed until smooth, with the rum and wine listed below. OR use the quick soak method for preparing fruit. See notes.
- 1/4 cup Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, to be added to fruit when pureeing
- 1/4 cup J. Wray & Nephew Red Label Wine, to be added to fruit when pureeing
- Juice from 1/2 Lime
- Zest from 1/2 Lime
For After Baking
- 1/2 cup J. Wray & Nephew Red Label Wine, to pour overtop cake as soon as it comes out the oven.
- Red Label Wine and White Overproof Rum, combined as desired, to spritz cake every few days.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C) and prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by greasing the bottom and sides using butter. Set aside an additional cake pan of water to be placed at the bottom of the oven during the baking process.
- Add the butter and dark brown sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and cream on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 to 6 minutes). Set aside.
- Add eggs to another large bowl, and beat using a hand mixer or whisk until light yellow in colour and foamy on top (about 3 to 5 minutes). To the egg mixture add the vanilla, browning, molasses, lime juice and gently mix using low speed (about 30 seconds). Then, add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking powder, salt, and lime zest and gently mix using low speed again (about 30 seconds).
- Pour egg mixture into the butter-sugar mixture, and fold well with a wooden spoon until fully mixed (about 3 minutes). Then fold in the pureed fruit mixture, and lastly the flour.
- Pour cake mixture into prepared cake pan and place into the oven along with the additional cake pan of water underneath (on the bottom rack) to ensure the cake does not dry out. Bake for approximately 2 hours (baking times will vary), cake is ready when a toothpick comes out clean or almost clean after inserting into the center of the cake.
- Once cake done, remove from oven and place cake pan on a cooling rack. Then, pour 1/2 cup of J. Wray & Nephew Red Label wine overtop while hot. Allow to soak into cake. Then when completely cooled, remove cake from pan, slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Browning – this is key to getting the deep rich colour that makes black cake “black”. Depending on the brand of browning, you may need more or less than the amount listed. I used the Grace brand, other brands such as Bedessee Jamaica Pride brand you will need less. Also, be careful not to use too much (depending on brand) as it can leave a bitter after taste.
Hi Taneisha!
I had a taste of this type of cake yesterday (as a birthday cake) and I was transported to my nanny and grandads house as a kid! I remember spotting the large container of fruit in alcohol!
I want to make it this year as a Christmas cake and I will cover it with marzipan and royal icing.
Can I just check on the texture? When you say to add Breadcrumbs and flour, do you mean fresh Breadcrumbs or dried? Could I just add extra flour? I think a more cakey texture would work best for the covering.
I’m also interested in the icing recipe I know you’re working on!
Hi Cat! Thank you so much for your note – I’m glad the cake was able to bring back these sweet memories too! Also, for the breadcrumbs… you can add 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs for a more cakier texture. Check out these vegan black I used both flour and breadcrumbs through the pictures you can see how the texture will be – keep in mine its vegan so no eggs but the texture is quite similar. here is the link: https://seasonedskilletblog.com/vegan-jamaican-black-cake-recipe-eggless/
Would you suggest, pureeing the fruits and let it soak it the rum and red label and the use to make the cake?
Hello, no. Soak the fruits in the rum and wine in their whole state – the whole cherries, cranberries, prunes etc. then when ready to bake puree and add to the cake mixture. I have a instructions on my blog post: https://seasonedskilletblog.com/how-to-soak-fruit-for-christmas-cake/
Amazing recipe ! How long does the cake last and should it be stored in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator ? Thank You !
Hi Nicola, the longevity of Jamaican Black Cake largely depends on how it’s stored and treated. The presence of alcohol acts as a preservative, allowing the cake to have an extended shelf life.A well-soaked Jamaican Black Cake, properly stored, can last for several months. Always use your judgment and check the cake for any signs of spoilage, especially if it has been stored for an extended period. The alcohol content and dense nature of Jamaican Black Cake contribute to its ability to last longer than some other cakes, but proper storage practices are crucial for maintaining its quality – storage suggestions are listed above in the blog post 🙂
I’m from St. Lucia and this is my first time making my own, as my mom would usually be the one baking fruit cake for the Christmas season, so I searched for a recipe and decided to try yours.
To avoid any bias, the first cake I baked, I gifted it to my cousin and asked for honest feedback, because she is a fruit cake connoisseu. 😆. Well, she gave me 5 stars and everyone else who tasted it after that.
THANK YOU for this amazing recipe and now making me a pro.
Hi Gemma! St. Lucia is such a beautiful island, I’ve visited before and plan to do so again this year! I’m so pleased so hear you and your family enjoyed the cake!! You are definitely a pro now!! You go Gemma!!
I tried it and it was awesome!
I was hesitant as the batter looked runny so I added the breadcrumbs option. The flavour is still on point but should now too dense.
Follow the instructions as is! I’m no baker and I’m still proud of how this Jamaican Classic came out. Thank you!
So happy to hear this!!
Thank you for the recipe. I’m making this today.
I want to gain clarity on the bread crumbs since I’d like a more cake-like texture. I’m making two cakes, so would the total breadcrumbs/flour amounts be 1 cup breadcrumbs and 5 cups flour.
Hi Jacqueline! If you prefer a cakier texture, you can use 1 cup breadcrumbs & 2 cups flour (this is if you are doubling the recipe). Also, when mixing your sugar and butter, cream until fluffy. Enjoy!! It will be amazing!
Made and turned out great doubled the recipe for 3 cakes and absolutely delicious. Only thing my cakes was done in 1hr 30 minutes . Much thanks and respect 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
Amazing so glad to hear!! Woohoo! && yes the baking times will vary depending on the oven/quantities!
Love your recipe my cake came out great
So happy to hear that! Thanks for leaving the feedback – I appreciate it!! *big smiles*
I’ve watched a lot of youtube videos about making a ‘real Jamaican black cake’ (even tried making a few) did not like them. Discovered your website yesterday, made the cake to your exact instructions (the boiled fruit method) and it was delicious. My family and I just can’t stop eating it, might just be lucky to have some left for Christmas day if I hide the cake tin..