DISH RESEARCH · Dish
Black Cake
Trinidadian rum fruit cake with soaked fruit, browning, warm spice and almonds.
About Black Cake
This profile covers the Trinidadian black cake published by Visit Trinidad. It is one regional Caribbean classic: dried and candied fruit are soaked in dark rum and cherry brandy before being worked into a dark celebration cake.
Prunes, cherries, raisins, currants and mixed peel bring concentrated fruit sweetness. Rum, cherry brandy, citrus zest, vanilla, almond essence and warm spices make the flavour deep and aromatic, while browning gives the cake its characteristic darkness.
The finished cake is dark, rich and moist, with ground fruit through a close crumb and chopped almonds adding small pieces of texture. Extra rum and brandy are absorbed after baking as part of this selected recipe.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Milk, Egg, Wheat (gluten), Almond.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Black Cake
Visit Trinidad Trinidadian black cake.
- PrunesSoaked fruit
- CherriesSoaked fruit
- RaisinsSoaked fruit
- CurrantsSoaked fruit
- Mixed peelSoaked fruit
- Dark rumFruit soak and finish
- Cherry brandyFruit soak and finish
- ButterCake fat
- Brown sugarSweetener
- EggsBinder
- Almond essenceAromatic
- Vanilla essenceAromatic
- All-purpose flourCake structure
- Baking powderLeavening
- Ground cinnamonWarm spice
- Ground nutmegWarm spice
- Ground cardamomWarm spice
- Orange zestCitrus aromatic
- BrowningColour and caramel note
- Chopped almondsNut texture
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Prunes:
- Cherries: . The source names cherries without specifying the preserved product formula; mapped to the established glacé-cherry route used for black cake.
- Raisins:
- Currants:
- Mixed peel: . Compound candied peel formula is not supplied.
- Dark rum:
- Cherry brandy:
- Butter:
- Brown sugar:
- Eggs:
- Almond essence: . Prepared essence formula is unspecified; its name alone is not used to infer almond protein.
- Vanilla essence: . Mapped to the established broader vanilla-extract route; prepared formula is unspecified.
- All-purpose flour:
- Baking powder:
- Ground cinnamon:
- Ground nutmeg:
- Ground cardamom:
- Orange zest:
- Browning: . Prepared browning formula is unspecified; no soy or sulphite allergen is inferred.
- Chopped almonds:
Origins & food traditions
Visit Trinidad presents black cake as a Trinidad Christmas rum fruit cake made with soaked fruits, rich browning and rum. The profile names this Trinidadian version and does not collapse other Caribbean black-cake traditions into it.
Countries
- Trinidad and Tobago
- GuyanaCatalogue link pending review
- Trinidad and TobagoCatalogue link pending review
- Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Trinidadian Cuisine
- Trinidadian and Tobagonian Creole CuisineCatalogue link pending review
- Guyanese CuisineCatalogue link pending review
- Vincentian CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.