It’s the season to enjoy all things yummy, and that includes our traditional fruitcake. As I sat relishing a slice of fruitcake I started to think about how this delicious treat became a part of our culture.

Jamaican black cake or Christmas pudding is a spiced cake made with a combination of raisins, cherries, prunes, and other fruits. Famous for its uniquely dense texture, dark colour, rich and robust taste, this is the cake that, well, takes the cake!

While traditionally it’s a cake for Christmas, it can be paired with a white fondant for wedding cakes as well.

Steeped in tradition, this classic dessert has endless variations, and surely no two households make it exactly the same way. Recipes and techniques for black cake vary according to personal preference, with family recipes passed down through generations. As with cooking, every Jamaican has a slightly different recipe which still turns out great! No matter the method used by an individual, the recipe calls for soaking the fruits in wine and/or rum.

Wedding cake is a mouth-watering delight that will take centre stage at your reception.

The cake

The black cake has a dark brown colour and a rich flavour. Its appearance is close to that of a chocolate cake, with its rich dark colour the result of its main ingredients of dried fruits, soaked in rum and local wine. These fruits include prunes, currants, raisins, and cherries, which are all chopped and soaked for months or even up to a year, before baking. The fruity combination is added to batter with flavourings and spices, to make the perfect cake.

Once baked for a wedding, the cake is then traditionally covered in ‘English icing’ not a frosting. The English icing is firmer, sweeter with more body, and so easy to decorate. Modern times have seen these cakes being covered with almond paste and fondant for a smoother finish before being decorated with elaborate sugar or fresh flowers. Making this cake takes some effort, but the outcome is delicious and satisfying.

The history

The black cake made its way to the Caribbean via England, with the recipe spreading across the region and being customised within each country, to its people’s liking. It is derived from the English Plum Pudding: a rich mixture of blended fruits soaked in wine/rum and baked. Today, this cake is called by several different names, including fruitcake, Christmas cake or black cake.

Traditions

The cake is associated with many traditions. Allow me to share some:

Traditional weddings required elaborate preparations, including the cooking of vast amounts of food and several cakes. Cakes were carried to the wedding location by a procession of married women clothed in white dresses and head-ties. The cakes were covered with white lace so that the bride did not see them until the day of her wedding. This is where the Jamaican tradition of the “unveiling of the cake” originated.

Tradition would dictate that the cake be a minimum of three tiers — the bottom one is cut by the bride and groom and then shared with the guests. The top tier would be put in the freezer to celebrate and share on their first anniversary or upon the birth of their first child.

A sliver of the cake would be taken from the second tier and would be put under the pillow of the bride and groom that same night to guarantee conception. The reason for the sliver is that the bigger the slice the more children you will have.

Wedding cake costs

Many are usually taken by surprise when told the cost of the black cake. The cost will depend on the size, the number of tiers, style or design, and icing type.

The traditional Jamaican wedding cake, made with dried raisins and currants that have been soaked in rum and wine for months, is very rich and heavy, the cost of the alcohol and pounds of fruit are the largest costs which makes it more expensive than a traditional cake.

This beloved fruitcake is highly revered and sought after during Christmas time as well as weddings and celebration.