Where does Black Cake come from?

Black Cake — country of origin: Barbados.

What is Black Cake made of?

Raisin, candied fruit, brown sugar, butter, flour, egg.

Which allergens does Black Cake contain?

Contains cereals and gluten-containing products. Contains eggs and egg products. Contains milk and milk products (including lactose). Contains sulphur dioxide and sulphites.

How do you pronounce Black Cake?

Black Cake (English) is pronounced /ˈblæk keɪk/.

Black Cake

Pronunciation (IPA) /ˈblæk keɪk/

A dense, dark fruitcake soaked in rum and wine, traditionally served at Christmas and weddings across the Caribbean.

Also known as: Black fruit cake · Caribbean black cake · Christmas black cake

Allergens & declarations

Contains

Cereals (gluten)

Wheat

Contains cereals and gluten-containing products

Egg

Contains eggs and egg products

Milk (including Lactose)

Contains milk and milk products (including lactose)

Sulfur Dioxide and Sulfites

Contains sulphur dioxide and sulphites

This describes the classic recipe, so you know what to ask about. It is not a declaration for any particular kitchen — recipes and suppliers vary, and only the restaurant can tell you what is in the dish it serves.

In detail

Black cake is a dense, dark fruitcake soaked in rum and wine, served at Christmas and at weddings.

Black cake is linked to Barbados and is also made in Guyana and Trinidad. It belongs to the family of fruit cakes, but it is soaked more heavily than most. Its dark colour comes from the dried fruit and from burnt sugar, and the fruit is traditionally steeped in alcohol for a long time before baking.

What it really is

The cake is built from butter, brown sugar, flour and eggs, with raisins and candied fruit folded into the batter. The fruit is soaked in rum and wine until soft, sometimes for weeks, and the cake is baked slowly. The soaked fruit makes the crumb moist and heavy, so a small slice is enough. Black cake is a fruit cake, not a sponge, and the alcohol is held in the fruit rather than in a glaze on top.

How it's served

Cut into thin slices, which is the usual serving, because the cake is dense and rich.
Served at Christmas and at weddings, the celebrations it is most often made for.
Eaten at room temperature, as a dessert.

Name the fruit: raisins and candied fruit, soaked in rum and wine.
Flag wheat from the flour, eggs, milk from the butter, and sulphites from the wine.
State that the cake contains alcohol, so guests who avoid it can choose something else.
Sell by the slice with a stated weight, since the cake is dense and portions vary.
Say how long the fruit is soaked, since that changes the flavour.

Typical ingredients

Put it on your menu with Menuella

Frequently asked questions

What is Black Cake?: A dense, dark fruitcake soaked in rum and wine, traditionally served at Christmas and weddings across the Caribbean.
Where does Black Cake come from?: Black Cake — country of origin: Barbados.
What is Black Cake made of?: Raisin, candied fruit, brown sugar, butter, flour, egg.
Which allergens does Black Cake contain?: Contains cereals and gluten-containing products. Contains eggs and egg products. Contains milk and milk products (including lactose). Contains sulphur dioxide and sulphites.
What is Black Cake also known as?: Black fruit cake, Caribbean black cake, Christmas black cake.
How do you pronounce Black Cake?: Black Cake (English) is pronounced /ˈblæk keɪk/. Select the speaker button next to the dish name to hear it.