Honest warning: This cake is potent. Just like molasses-rich British pudding, black cake is a dense loaf cake stuffed with rum-soaked dried fruit. Historically served in the course of the holidays or weddings within the Caribbean, this cake will get its sturdy taste from darkish molasses and darkish rum and its daring, boozy notes from a beneficiant pour of darkish rum icing.
Caribbean Black Loaves
Makes 2 (8½x4½-inch) loaf desserts
- 1 cup (128 grams) chopped dates
- 1 cup (128 grams) chopped dried cherries
- 1 cup (128 grams) golden raisins
- 1 cup (128 grams) dried currants
- 1 cup (240 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (30 grams) darkish rum, divided
- ½ cup (120 grams) cherry brandy
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1¼ cups (275 grams) firmly packed darkish brown sugar
- ½ cup (170 grams) molasses
- 4 massive eggs (200 grams), room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (3 grams) orange zest
- 1 tablespoon (3 grams) lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon (3 grams) lime zest
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) fragrant bitters*
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) floor cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) floor nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon floor cloves
- Rum Glaze (recipe follows)
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In a medium bowl, toss collectively dates, cherries, raisins, and currants. Pour 1 cup (240 grams) darkish rum and brandy over fruit. Cowl and let stand in a single day or for as much as 3 days. (The longer it stands, the stronger the flavour.)
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Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line 2 (8½x4½-inch) loaf pans with parchment paper.
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar at medium pace till fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in molasses till utterly integrated. Add eggs, one by one, beating effectively after every addition. Beat in zests, vanilla, and bitters. Add dried fruit and any remaining liquid (about ½ cup [120 grams]).
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. With mixer on low pace, step by step add flour combination to butter combination, beating simply till mixed. Divide batter between ready pans.
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Bake for 1 hour. Cowl with foil, and bake till a wood decide inserted in heart comes out clear, about 50 minutes extra. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Take away from pans, and let cool utterly on wire racks. Brush loaves with remaining 2 tablespoons (30 grams) darkish rum. High with Rum Glaze. Retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 2 weeks.
*As a result of it’s historically utilized in Caribbean black cake, we used Angostura fragrant bitters, accessible at native grocery shops or on-line.
Rum Glaze
Makes 1 cup
- 2½ cups (300 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 5½ tablespoons (82 grams) darkish rum
