Jamaican Christmas Cake
This traditional Jamaican Christmas Cake is a rich, dark fruit cake soaked in rum and port wine for weeks before baking, creating an intensely flavored dessert. The technique of macerating dried fruits in alcohol and the long, slow bake produces a dense, moist cake that improves with age. A festive centerpiece that showcases Caribbean baking traditions with its complex spice profile and boozy depth.
Equipment
- Large Container
- Separate Mixing Bowl
- Electric Mixer
- 9-Inch Cake Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Roasting pan
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Skewer
- Sifter
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Soaked Fruit (prepare at least 1 week ahead)
- 3 ¾ lb Raisins
- 5 lb Prunes
- 3 lb Currants
- 1 quart White Rum Wray & Nephew Overproof recommended, any white rum will work but overproof gives the cake more punch
- 2 quart Port Wine Taylor or any ruby port
Cake Batter
- 2 lb Butter grass-fed, salted
- 2 lb Sugar granulated
- 24 Eggs large
- 1 ½ tablespoon Browning Grace brand
- 3 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ tablespoon Almond Extract
- Lemon zest of 1
- Lime zest of 1
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb All Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ lb Bread Crumbs
- 1 ½ tablespoon Baking Powder
- ¼ cup Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt Morton brand
For Finishing
- White Rum for drizzling over cooled cakes
Instructions
Soak the Fruit
- Combine the raisins, prunes, and currants in a large container at least 1 week before baking.
- Pour the white rum and port wine over the fruit.
- Stir to combine.
- Cover tightly and store in a cool dark place.
- Stir every couple of days until the fruit plumps as it absorbs the alcohol.
Batter
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, browning, lemon zest, and lime zest.
Dry Ingredients
- Sift together the flour, bread crumbs, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Combine
- Gently fold the soaked fruit with all of their liquid into the batter.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Grease and line your cake pans.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops.
- Place each cake pan inside a larger pan filled with about 1 inch of water.
- Bake for 2-3 hours.
- Check after 1 ½ hours with a skewer inserted into the center until it comes out clean when done.
Finish
- Let the cakes cool in their pans.
- Drizzle additional white rum over the tops while still warm.
Storage
- Wrap cooled cakes tightly and store in airtight containers.
Notes
The key to this cake is patience—soaking the dried fruits in rum and port wine for at least two weeks (ideally longer) transforms them into intensely flavored jewels that permeate the entire cake. The low baking temperature of 300°F ensures even cooking through the dense batter without burning the exterior. This cake actually improves with age; wrap it tightly and store in an airtight container for up to several months, occasionally "feeding" it with additional rum to maintain moisture. The browning agent gives the cake its characteristic dark color, but you can make your own by caramelizing sugar if commercial browning isn't available. With 24 eggs and 2 pounds of butter, this is a substantial batch that yields enough for multiple gatherings or gifting. Consider baking in smaller pans for easier portioning and gifting during the holiday season.
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