Black Cake Recipe – Nevis Christmas Tradition
Black Cake Recipe – Fruit Mixture
- 1 cup figs
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup dried bing cherries
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 2 cups tawny port wine
- 1 cup over-proof rum
Black Cake Recipe – Cake Ingredients
- 1/2 lb butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup A/P flour
- 1 cup unseasoned panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (#ad)
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 lime, freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp molasses
Black Cake Recipe – Baking Instructions
- Add the fruit and booze to an a large mason jar. Seal tightly and let marinade for at least a week or two, but up to a year.
- Preheat the oven to 250° (F) 120° (C) or Gas Mark 1/2 . Grease a 10″ x 3″ round baking pan (#ad) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Blend the fruit mixture until basically smooth, think of a Pâté.
- Mix the flour, breadcrumbs, spices, and baking powder and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar until combined and fluffy, about 3.5 minutes on medium. Then, add the eggs, vanilla, and freshly squeezed lime juice and mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients. 1/3 at a time, with your mixer on slow until just combined.
- Pour in the molasses and the blended fruit mixture. Fold together until combined. Your mixture should be thick and a very deep brown.
- Cook in the cake pan for 2 and 1/2 hours.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly. While still warm, pour an additional 1/4-1/2 cup of tawny port wine on the cake. Leave covered overnight to allow the port to infuse the cake.
*Garnish with powdered sugar and or chopped maraschino cherries if so desired.
Serving suggestion:
Serve with either a espresso coffee or a tot of Hammond Rum aka Bush Rum…aka illegal moonshine…LOL. Seriously though, a good dark rum will suffice.
What Is The Difference Between Ruby and Tawny Port Wine
The difference is mainly the color and flavor. For color, it is easy: Ruby ports are more ruby red in color and Tawny ports have a tawny brown color. As for flavor, both have a sweet taste. However, Ruby ports have more of a fruity, berry flavor and Tawny ports tend towards a nutty, caramel flavor.