Belize Recipe – Black Fruit Cake

Easy to make Belize Black Cake recipe!

With Christmas only days away we are pretty sure that most Belizean kitchens have already started preparing and baking black fruit cake, which is the season’s tradition here in the jewel.

So, our Festive Foodies segment brings you the famous black fruit cake recipe which is a must have during Christmas time in all Belize homes. But first a little history:

This tradition which spreads throughout the Caribbean dates back to the middle of the 17th century when English settlers brought over a tradition of the ‘English pudding.’ Over time that was radically modified by African slaves and their descendants who evolved it into a rich rum cake, a potent mix of finely ground raisins, cherries and nuts which were soaked for months in over proof rum.

Serves about 10–12

Ingredients

Fruit Base (prepare at least 1 day ahead, or up to months ahead for best flavor)

• 1 lb raisins
• 1 lb currants
• ½ lb prunes (pitted)
• ½ lb mixed peel or dried cherries
• 1–2 cups dark rum or sweet wine (enough to soak fruit)
• 1 tsp mixed spice (optional)

Cake Batter

• 1 lb brown sugar
• ½ lb (1 cup) butter
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond essence
• Zest of 1 orange (optional)
• ½ cup caramel/browning (use more for darker color)
• 1 cup of the blended soaked fruit mixture
• Extra rum to sprinkle on cake after baking (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the Fruit

1. Combine raisins, currants, prunes, cherries, and mixed peel.
2. Pour rum or wine over fruit until covered.
3. Leave to soak overnight—or ideally weeks/months.
4. When ready to bake, blend some of the soaked fruit into a thick paste. Keep some fruit chunky if you like texture.

Make the Batter

1. Cream butter + brown sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.
3. Add vanilla, almond essence, orange zest, and browning.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix gently.
6. Fold in 1 cup (or more) of blended fruit mixture. The batter should be thick and dark.

Bake

1. Preheat oven to 250–275°F (low and slow).
2. Grease and flour a round pan or loaf pan.
3. Pour batter in.
4. Bake for 2–2.5 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Finish (optional but traditional)

• While still warm, sprinkle a small amount of rum or sweet wine over the cake.
• Let it cool completely.
• Black cake gets BETTER after a day or two as flavors settle.

Tips

• If the cake looks too light, add more browning until it’s the deep black color you want.
• Store wrapped tightly; it lasts very long due to the alcohol.
• For a richer, “Christmas” version, add a splash of brandy or stout to the batter.
• Soak fruits in rum and sugar for at least 7 days before making cake.
• Put aside a little flour to use on fruits before adding to batter. This keeps fruits from settling at the bottom of the cake.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating constantly. Add flour, baking powder and spices into the butter, sugar and eggs mix with a spoon. Then add stout and colouring to the mixture. Beat for about 4 minutes at high speed. In a separate dish pour the rum off the fruits.(The rum should be kept to add to the finished cake after cooling) Flour fruits and add to the batter.
• Heat oven to 300ºF. While the oven is heating just let batter “settle” a while. Line baking pan with aluminum foil or wax paper. Grease lightly with butter. Spoon batter evenly into the buttered pan about 3/4 full. Bake in slow oven for about 3 hours. Insert toothpick in center and it should come out clean when done.
• When cake is completely cool sprinkle rum all over. Garnished with cherries and walnuts.
• Flavouring improves with storing. You can sprinkle cake again with rum, brandy or wine before storing to enjoy later!

Although everyone loves their black cake, the texture preference can vary: some like it soaking wet, others like it more fruity, more plain or nutty. Feel free to make changes to the recipe as you like.

Have A Very Foodie Holiday!