Jamaican Fruit Cake
A rich, moist, and deeply spiced cake packed with rum-soaked dried fruits and nuts. This classic Caribbean dessert, often enjoyed during holidays, gets its signature dark color and complex flavor from a blend of warm spices and molasses.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 1 day 4 hr
- Serves
- 16
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 369 kcal
Allergen information: may contain eggs, gluten, milk, nuts, sulphites, and tree nuts. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
Soaked Fruit & Nuts
- 1 cupraisin
- 1 cupcurrant
- 0.5 cupcandied mixed peel, chopped
- 0.5 cuppecan, chopped
- 0.5 cupdark rum
- 0.5 cupsweet red wine, such as port
Cake Batter
- 2 cupall-purpose flour
- 2 tspbaking powder
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 1 tspground cinnamon
- 1 tspground nutmeg
- 1 cupunsalted butter, softened
- 1 cupbrown sugar, packed
- 4 pcslarge egg, room temperature
- 2 tbspmolasses
- 0.5 cupblackberry jam
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1 tsplime zest
Equipment
large glass jar · large bowl · spatula · wire rack · electric mixer · medium bowl · whisk · oven · bundt pan
The method
Step by step
- 1
In a large glass jar or bowl, combine the raisins, currants, candied peel, and pecans. Pour the dark rum and red wine over the mixture and stir to combine.
About 5 min
- 2
Cover the container and let the fruit soak for at least 24 hours at room temperature, or up to several weeks in the refrigerator for a deeper flavor.
About 1 day
Cook’s note: Stir the mixture every few days if you are soaking it for an extended period.
- 3
Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F). Thoroughly grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan or two 9x5-inch loaf pans.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: You can also line the bottom of the pan(s) with parchment paper for easier removal.
- 4
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
About 3 min
- 5
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
About 4 min
Cook’s note: Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- 6
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated.
About 3 min
- 7
Beat in the molasses, blackberry jam, vanilla extract, and lime zest until just combined.
About 1 min
- 8
Add the entire mixture of soaked fruit and nuts, along with any unabsorbed liquid, to the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula to combine.
About 2 min
- 9
Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the bowl, mixing on low speed or folding with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: A few streaks of flour are okay; they will incorporate as you pour the batter.
- 10
Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and use a spatula to smooth the top.
About 2 min
- 11
Bake for 90-100 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
About 1 hr 40 min
Cook’s note: If the top of the cake starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
- 12
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes before carefully inverting it onto the rack to cool completely.
About 2 hr 20 min
Cook’s note: For an even moister cake, you can brush it with a little extra dark rum while it is still warm.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 368.5kcal
- Protein
- 4.4g
- Carbs
- 50.3g
- Fat
- 15.9g
- Fibre
- 2.1g
- Sugar
- 33g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store well-wrapped in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Best served at room temperature, but can be warmed in a microwave for 15-20 seconds if desired.
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