Saint Lucian Black Cake for Christmas
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, prunes), soaked in 250 ml (1 cup) dark rum and 125 ml (1/2 cup) red wine for at least 2 weeks — 500 g (3 cups)
- Butter, softened — 250 g (1 cup)
- Brown sugar — 250 g (1 1/4 cups)
- Eggs — 5
- All-purpose flour — 300 g (2 1/3 cups)
- Baking powder — 1 tsp
- Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp
- Ground nutmeg — 1/2 tsp
- Ground cloves — 1/4 tsp
- Browning (caramelised sugar sauce) — 1 tsp
- Vanilla extract Extra rum, for soaking after baking — 1 tsp
Method
- Blend the rum-soaked dried fruit into a coarse paste.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) and grease and line a cake tin.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- Stir in the blended fruit paste, browning and vanilla until evenly combined.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake 1.5-2 hours until a skewer comes out clean.
- While still warm, spoon extra rum over the top, repeating every few days if storing for later.
Introduction: A dense, dark fruit cake soaked in rum and wine, the centrepiece of Saint Lucian Christmas celebrations.
Cultural Background: Black cake is prepared for Christmas across the English and French Creole Caribbean, with dried fruits soaked in rum for weeks or months beforehand, baked into a rich, dark cake treasured as a family tradition.
Tips: Soak the fruit as long as possible, ideally weeks to months, for the deepest flavour. Cover loosely with foil partway through baking if the top browns too quickly.
Variations: Add chopped candied cherries or citrus peel to the soaking fruit; a lighter version reduces the alcohol soaking time to a few days.
Storage: Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for several weeks, or refrigerate for up to 2 months, feeding with rum periodically.
Reheating: This cake is served at room temperature and is not reheated.
Nutrition: Approx. 420 kcal, 5 g protein, 48 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat per slice.
FAQs:
Q: How far ahead should I soak the fruit?
A: Traditionally weeks to months ahead; even a few days will still give good flavour if time is short.
Q: Why is the cake so dark?
A: The colour comes from the browning and deeply soaked dried fruit, not from chocolate or cocoa.
- Mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, prunes), soaked in 250 ml (1 cup) dark rum and 125 ml (1/2 cup) red wine for at least 2 weeks — 500 g (3 cups)
- Butter, softened — 250 g (1 cup)
- Brown sugar — 250 g (1 1/4 cups)
- Eggs — 5
- All-purpose flour — 300 g (2 1/3 cups)
- Baking powder — 1 tsp
- Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp
- Ground nutmeg — 1/2 tsp
- Ground cloves — 1/4 tsp
- Browning (caramelised sugar sauce) — 1 tsp
- Vanilla extract Extra rum, for soaking after baking — 1 tsp
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