Rummy fruit cake

The traditional black cake is another seasonal favourite in Trinidad and Tobago. Now you can dispense with the soaking of fruit and the slow baking; and buy your Christmas black cake from the neighbourhood bakery, or in the grocery, gift-packed. 

Since I've had some raisins and currants soaking in rum for at least a year, I decided to make a fruit cake using pound cake as a base. This version had originally been published in Bon Appetit in March 1995. Reading the comments from others who have used the recipe helped me to make a moister cake, full of buttery and rummy flavour.

Try this light fruit cake for Christmas
 - each raisin pops with rum flavour!

Raisins and currants soaked in rum, one and two-third cups with liquid
Flour, two cups sifted
Baking powder, one teaspoon
Salt, half teaspoon
Butter, two and a half sticks ( 10 ounces - I think a little less butter is good)
Sugar, just under two cups (I use brown sugar)
Eggs, five

Sift dry ingredients together. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C). Line a loaf pan with silicone paper or butter and lightly flour.

Whip butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add sugar and beat together. Add eggs, one or two at a time, beating well.


Drain raisins and retain the liquid; you should have about half cup of rum liquid.

Add rum liquid to butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Fold in flour, and then raisins. Pour into the prepared pan (the original recipe recommends a bundt pan; I like using the loaf pan which allows easy symmetrical slices). Bake for one hour to 75 minutes; or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Cool and slice. Serve with ponche crema.

Serve with poncha crema, or green tea!

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