Dinner meal that’s quick and simple but flavorful!
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 50 mins |
| Servings: | 16 |
| Yield: | 2 9-inch round cakes |
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter
- 2 cups white sugar
- 9 large eggs
- ¼ cup white rum (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 grated zest of one lime
- 2 pounds chopped dried mixed fruit
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 cup dark molasses
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Place butter and sugar into a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
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- Beat in eggs; add rum, lime juice, almond extract, vanilla, and lime zest.
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- Stir in dried fruit, wine and molasses.
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- Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl; gently fold into fruit mixture. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
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- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 80 to 90 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- For even better results, you can soak dried fruit in wine for at least 3 weeks, or boil the fruit in the wine. Use a combination of raisins, currants, golden raisins, prunes, dried cherries, or any dried fruit of your preference.
- Additional wine or rum can be brushed onto the cake as needed to keep it moist.
Reviews
It’s so close to being perfect, except I would double the fruit. There’s not enough by far. Also if you cook with a convection oven, use 325, I found 350 was a little too hot. I’ve made this twice now. It’s a great recipe. But if like me you prefer a good 50/50 cake to fruit ratio, add more dried fruit. Dates are great to use and I also used dried blueberries.
Great recipe. I use it every year for Christmas cake. My preference for fruit is to use mixed peel, dried cherries, blueberries, raisins and apples. Soaking in red wine is what makes this fabulous. So many compliments – from those who like fruit cake of course!
I soaked dry fruits in wine and little rum for a night. It came out soft, buttery, and fruity.
This was great used it a few times, even double the ingredients and the results were still amazing…
This is a great recipe I am not a baker but I have been using it for 3 years. I have doubled the recipe and omitted the rum and molasses. Turns out great!!
This is the second year I have used this cake recipe. I used a blender to chop the mixed fruits then soaked it in wine and little rum for a few days. We like it rummy. Usually Jamaicans soak for few months. Soaking longer makes it better but few days is still good. Because I did this, I have to use my judgement in adding the right amount of wine to the batter. As usual the car turned out just the way I like it, very dark, fruity and extremely soft, the crumb does not fall apart, nor was the cake too dense and heavy. Perfection. I made three batches kept one for myself and the rest make excellent Christmas gifts.
I’ve used this recipe twice and I was pleased both times. The cake was soft and most. My family and friends love it.
It was great!
I soaked my fruit in equal parts wine and rum. I also added browning for color and more molasses. My husband loved it.
A most righteous fruit cake!!….coming from a staunch fruit cake hater. … and kitchen challenged individual. Some minor details. Prep time is about an hour, cook time , using 4 or 5 ( depending on how much you put in) nonstick aluminum pans is about 35 minutes. Just follow your nose and check when you start smelling those delicious aromas! LIOVE LOVE LIVE THUS CAKE!!
I added a little bit more baking powder and it turned out great
I have been baking this cake for years. Most time i used 1 cup of butter instead of 2. I still added the 2 cups of wine to the batter. For the soak/boiled fruits i blend half of the amount then combine it with the unblend portions. I also tried it without sugar by just creaming 1 1/2 cup butter (the yellow pk stick margerine) and added the eggs 1 by 1 and it was still a hit. I make a variation of batches followed the same instructions given. I also didn’t put any pan with water in the oven for it to boil…and the cake still came out moist. 1 batch i baked the recipe as is, another with the reduce butter, and 1 with no sugar. I am from a large family so I normally make up to 5 batches. Again this cake is loved by everyone(family, friends and co-workers). A big THANK YOU Sharon for this amazing recipe!!!! 🙂
I love this recipe…so do my family and friends! I even have people ordering wanting to pay me to make cakes for them 🙂 It was easy to make and very tasty.
I made it and this recipe was such a success that I am making today as well…
I tried this last Christmas and we all loved it,I am doing it again this Christmas, thanks Sharon
This is by far one of the best recipes I’ve ever tried on this website! This Jamaican black rum cake taste exactly like my moms and Grandmother’s! I am so glad that I found this, this is probably going on the 60th Cake I’ve made. I now make them for my friends and family every Thanksgiving and Christmas I make between 15 to 20 Cakes each year using this recipe. I don’t tweak it, I don’t substitute anything, I make it exactly how Sharon says and it comes out remarkably amazing. I do soak my fruits one year at a time, so the fruits I use this year, I will go back and purchase more dried fruits, raisins, prunes, currents and port wine. And have them soaking to get ready for next year‘s batch of Jamaican rum cakes.
added a more flour, honey and brown sugar replacing molasses( not at hand) fruit soaked for 3 days, no rum but may sprinkle after, quite pleased with first attempt, lighter than what I expected , pleasant surprise.
yum i love fruit cake so yummy
I’ve been using this recipe for about 6 years! And it brings back memories of home. I’m a Jamaican and I used to help my aunts bake so I do know what it’s supposed to taste like. This recipe is definitely on point! My family is always so impressed with my baking skills, but it’s really not me, it’s Sharon’s!! Love love love the finished product! Year after year! * I blend my fruits in the red label wine, then bring to a boil and have it sit overnight. No need to soak the fruits for months! * I used browning instead of molasses. I had a pan of water under the batter while baking so that the cake comes out moist. After taking the cake out of the oven, I poured a cup of wine over it to keep it moist.
This recipe was a good place to start but i made some changes. I added another half cup of wine and one cup of over proof rum (also brushed the tops with rum after cooling). for the fruits i used cherries, raisins, currants, prunes, and mixed citrus peel soaked in the wine and rum for 3 weeks and finely pureed. I also added 3 tbsp browning for color. I would highly recommend baking in a water bath to keep your cake very moist.
Excellent flavor! For those who want a more pudding-like texture, just put a foil tin of water at the bottom of the oven. I’m no professional, but this cake always gets raving reviews when I make it!