Guyanese Black Cake Recipe

Looking for a delicious and indulgent dessert to serve at your next special occasion or holiday gathering? Look no further than this Guyanese black cake recipe, a moist and flavorful Caribbean fruitcake that is sure to impress your taste buds.

At first glance, this cake might look like a dense and dark chocolate cake, but it is actually a traditional Caribbean dessert that goes by many different names, including Caribbean fruit cake, Christmas cake, and even wedding cake in some parts of the Caribbean. Made with a blend of dried fruits, spices, and liquor, this cake is a beloved treat that is often served during the holiday season and various occasions.

While every family has their own version of this cake with their unquantified secret ingredients, the basic recipe consists of a blend of dried fruit, spices, and liquor that are combined to make a thick fruit mixture. This is then added to a rich cake batter made with butter, dark brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and eggs, before being baked slowly in a low oven until it reaches a deep dark color.

To make this cake, the first things you’ll need to do are prepare the dried fruit mixture and the cake batter. This typically involves soaking a blend of raisins, currants, prunes, and maraschino cherries in a glass jar with a mixture of dark rum, red wine, and cherry brandy for at least a week before baking. Meanwhile, the cake batter is made by creaming butter and dark brown sugar, before adding eggs, flour, baking powder, and a range of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Once the fruit mixture is ready, it’s blended in a food processor or grinder until it reaches a smooth consistency, before being added to the cake batter. The mixture is then poured into a cake pan lined with parchment paper and baked in a preheated oven for about 2-2.5 hours until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While this cake can be a bit time-consuming to make, the result is a deliciously moist and flavorful dessert that is perfect for special occasions or the holiday season. Whether you’re serving it as a dessert after a holiday meal or giving it as a gift, this Guyanese black cake is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

Tips & Tricks:

• Soak the dried fruit mixture in a glass jar or other airtight container to prevent the alcohol from evaporating and to allow the fruit to absorb the flavors.
• Use room temperature ingredients to ensure the batter mixes together smoothly.
• If you don’t have access to browning sauce, you can make it by caramelizing sugar on medium heat until it turns a dark brown color.
• To make a good black cake, it’s important to bake it slowly at a low temperature to prevent it from becoming too dry.

Variations:

• To make a Caribbean rum cake, substitute the dried fruit mixture with chopped pecans or walnuts, and use only dark rum for the liquor.
• If you’re looking for a lighter cake from the same region, we recommend our Guyanese Sponge Cake Recipe.
• For a moist Jamaican black cake, use a blend of dried fruits such as prunes, raisins, currants, and dates, and add a cup of molasses to the batter for added moisture.
• For a holiday twist, add a teaspoon of lime zest or a thick layer of marzipan on top of the cake before baking.

Recommended Additional Courses:

• This cake is perfect as a standalone dessert, but can also be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
• To make it a full meal, consider pairing it with a savory Caribbean dish such as jerk chicken, Guyanese curry chicken or oxtail stew.

Related Recipes:

• If you’re looking for another Caribbean dessert to try, check out the recipe for Caribbean rum punch.
• For a similar dessert with British
• colonial roots, try making a British plum pudding, which is another dense and rich dessert that is typically served during the holiday season.
• If you love dense and moist cakes, you might also enjoy trying out a classic chocolate cake or an almond cake, which are both delicious and indulgent options.

So if you’re ready to make the perfect black cake, gather your dried fruit, browning sauce, and bottle of rum, and get ready to experience the taste of the Caribbean islands. Whether you’re making it for the first time or have been perfecting your recipe for years, this delicious cake is sure to be a crowd-pleaser that will leave your guests wanting more. Happy baking!