In every part of the world, there is a unique tradition or thing associated with Christmas. It is something that makes Christmas indigenous to that particular region and in the Caribbean, there is the ever-popular black cake that makes our Christmas uniquely ours. Every country puts its own spin on the Christmas staple. Be it the ingredients or the decoration, there are never two same-tasting black cakes, and over here in Guyana, the black cake has been a Christmas tradition at our celebrations.
It simply isn’t Christmas without a slice of perfectly moist black cake accompanied by a tall glass of perfectly chilled ginger beer. These are two staples that make Christmas uniquely Guyanese and there are no signs of that changing despite the generational shift. Now more than ever, young people are looking forward to that Christmas black cake and the seasonal ginger beer.
I can never decipher whether it is the spirit of the season or just the amount of love that goes into making the black cake that makes it taste absolutely different during the holidays. I mean, I have had black cake several times during the year, but the taste is not the same as the ones I have had during Christmas time.
Now let us delve into what really black cake is and how it is made.
For me, black cake is unique for its rich and full-bodied taste coupled with its chocolatey colour and dense texture. Despite being a dense cake, if prepared correctly, black cake is one of the moistest cakes you will ever eat. As we have established before, it is not Christmas without a slice of black cake, and the black cake is also one of the most sought-after cakes for weddings locally, because of the fact that it can be kept for years on end.
My family is not really a black cake-loving family since they prefer its toned-down cousin – the fruitcake so the black cake was not an integral part of my childhood, but my adulthood sings a different tune. I vividly remember I was about 10 when my grandmother gave me my first piece of black cake and since then I was hooked. But I would not have another piece until I was about 16 and ever since I have been on a quest to eat as much as possible. 
If you’ve never had this cake, at first glance it may resemble a chocolate cake, but the deep dark colour comes from the main ingredient – dried macerated fruits. Trust me when I say that some people really take the fruit business seriously. But what really do we mean when we say “fruits”? If you are a Guyanese, you already know what I am talking about, but for those who may not know what ‘fruits’ are, let me break it down for you. Carambola or five fingers, as it is commonly known, is picked, washed, cut into pieces and then usually cooked with sugar and spices until all the liquid evaporates. After that, it is dried and then blended into a paste which is used for baking cakes.
It is the star of the black cake, but has a supporting cast. People, like myself, would soak their fruits in port wine or dark rum for months or even years. I have had about five pounds of fruits soaking in rum and port wine for the past 16 months and I intend to use them in my black cake this year. However, some people would have fruits soaking for longer than that time. The five- finger fruit preserve would be soaked with raisins, prunes, maraschino cherries and a variety of nuts. Some people prefer blending the nuts and other dried fruits while others prefer them chopped.
The alcohol-soaked fruits coupled with the spices and citrus makes this cake a delight. So, I am going to share my version of a recipe I found a few years back. If you have not soaked your fruits already, then have no fear you can begin the process today and by the time you are ready to bake on Christmas Eve, the fruits would be ready.
So roll your sleeves up and let’s get baking.
You will need:
• 1 lb butter
• 1 lb brown sugar (the high molasses content enriches cake colour)
• 10 eggs
• 4 lbs fruit mixture
• 2 tsp high-quality vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 lb all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice and mace
• One orange zest
• 1 cup chopped maraschino cherries*
• Nuts*
• Cake colouring
• Brown rum or port wine (cherry brandy works too)
Now that we have all the ingredients, let us make the batter and bake. The first step is preheating your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Then in a large mixing bowl, you will need to cream your butter and sugar until the sugar granules are practically dissolved. Add in eggs one at a time, properly incorporating them because if not done properly the fat breaks and may curdle. After we have incorporated all the eggs, we will then add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix until combined. We do not want to overwork the batter or gluten will develop resulting in a chewy cake as opposed to a soft melt-in-your-mouth cake.
With your mixer on low speed, incorporate the fruit mixture, spices, vanilla extract and orange zest. The colour of the batter will change from a pale cream to brown. To enrich that colour add 1/4 cup of cake colouring (be careful with the amount of cake colouring since too much will give the cake a bitter taste). At this point, you may add your additional maraschino cherries and nuts. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
After you have taken out the cakes from the oven, while still hot, douse with approximately 3/4 cup of rum or port wine and allow to soak.
Black cake tastes best after it has aged for about two days, but you have to ensure you add some alcohol to it daily since it would preserve it longer.
So this Christmas, be sure to try this recipe and enjoy your slice of Christmas goodness. (Photos are taken from Alicia’s Pepperpot blog) (Times Sunday Magazine)
