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    BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

    Jamaican Fruit Cake (Vegan, Gluten Free)

    Last Updated January 18, 2023. Published November 23, 2020 By Charla 37 Comments

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    long pin black cake

    A delicious, super moist fruit cake also known as black cake, the quintessential Caribbean holiday cake. My take on this recipe is vegan friendly, gluten free and contains no alcohol making it perfect for children and drivers to consume throughout the holiday season or weddings.

    cake on a plate and stand

    If you are on the hunt for a fruit cake with big bold flavours then this black cake is what you need. It's totally eggless, moist and has no alcohol or gluten.

    This is perfect for anyone with dietary requirements and is longing for some black cake during the holiday season.

    **If you are novice/inexperienced/ first time baker PLEASE make sure you read through the ingredients/instructions thoroughly. If you need help before making the cake or unsure comment/email me first**

    What is black/fruit cake?

    In short, it's a cake that is eaten throughout the Caribbean region during Christmas, the New Year and at weddings (albeit with royal icing).

    Although the title of the post denotes to Jamaica, it's more or less a Caribbean cake eaten by most of the English speaking islands.

    It was known by various names including Christmas fruit cake, Caribbean black cake, rum cake and so fourth.

    Irrespective of it's name here in the Caribbean community it's all the talk as Christmas is approaching.

    Traditional black cake is made from pre-soaked fruit. A combination of fruit is used and varies from person to person.

    Typically you will find prunes, raisins, currants, cherries, mixed peel and mixed fruit laced with wine and rum (usually the rum from that specific island).

    The soaking of the fruit is BIG BUSINESS for island people some soak their fruit for years or a little as a few months. The longer the fruit is soaked for, the stronger the taste in alcohol.

    Once the fruit is ready to be used it is pureed to the texture that the person desires. Some people will cook off some of the alcohol before doing the aforementioned.

    Then the fruit is added to your usual cake mix to make the batter (spices, eggs, flour and butter) etc...

    What gives this cake that signature dark hue is the browning sauce aka caramelized sugar.

    If you have been following my culinary journey then you will know that browning pops up in my infamous Brown Stew Chicken, Oxtail Stew and Turkey Steaks.

    It is crucial for Jamaican cuisines although some people just make theirs as they go along with brown sugar and water.

    Once the cake is baked it is glazed with just rum or a mixture of wine and rum which gives the cake more moisture with an even more alcoholic edge.

    overhead shot of the cake

    The texture - let's talk!!

    Many people believe that the texture and consistency of black cake is what makes or breaks it. Honestly, growing up  and having my fair share of Christmas cake I can say no cake tastes the same.

    This is the one Caribbean recipe that I can think that even though the base ingredients are the same the overall outcome will vary.

    Personal preference varies greatly, by that I mean some will like a more crumbly fruit cake. On the other hand, some will like a dense pudding textured cake.

    Some will like a boozy cake that will leave you tipsy after a few bites while others will have a subtle taste in alcohol.

    Do you see what I mean? It varies doesn't it?

    I personally like a pudding texture because it's super smooth and melts in your mouth and this is what my recipe is the basis of.

    I also don't care for alcohol so I'm quite relieved to leave it out just like I did with my Gluten Free Coconut Rum Cake which use rum flavouring instead.

    The texture of your Jamaican fruit cake is a matter of what YOU prefer so when you make this recipe I suggest pulsing the fruit to your preferred consistency and do what works for you!

    Reasons to make this cake

    • It's a true taste of the Caribbean
    • Contains no alcohol and vegan
    • It's free from gluten
    • Perfect for children, drivers, pregnant/lactating women, conflicted with an illness or abstaining.
    • Great for special occasions and weddings
    • It's delicious!!

    How to make Jamaican fruit cake

    steps 1-6 greasing the tin and simmering the fruit

    • Grease an 8 inch spring form pan.
    • Line the pan by using a pencil/pen to form a circle around the removable base and line the sides. Then set aside.
    • Add all of the fruit to a medium sized saucepan along with the red grape juice and simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes (until most of the liquid has absorbed) then leave to cool down.
    • Add the fruit to your food processor/blender and pulse until your desired texture is achieved. I like a pudding style of cake so I completely puree my fruit. Then set aside.
    • Place the gluten free flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, mixed spice, baking powder and pink salt into a medium bowl and combine.

    steps 7-12 making the black cake

    • In another medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electronic whisk/mixer until fluffy.
    • Add the applesauce, pureed fruit ,browning sauce, almond essence, vanilla and whisk to form a smooth paste.
    • Add the bowl of flour to the wet ingredients - adding the flour a little at a time while whisking until fully incorporated.
    • Any chopped or dried mixed fruit should be added at this stage.
    • Pour the cake batter into the cake pan.
    • Place some water in a large oven proof bowl to create a water bath and place this on the bottom oven shelf underneath the pan (this will help with heat distribution)
    • Bake the cake on the middle shelf for around 1hr and 30 minutes. If the cake is browning too much half way through baking, place some foil over the top of the cake.
    • Once done check the readiness by inserting a skewer or a knife. It should come out clean when done. If not return to the oven to bake for 10-15 minute intervals (foil covered) and repeat.
    • Combine the grape juice, rum flavouring and water together in a spray bottle and spray the top of the cake.

    Darkening the cake 

    I'm going to address the topic of - how to darken your cake. The colour of the cake is determined by the amount of browning etc is used.

    There are 2 ingredients that can give your cake the colour that you desire

    • Blackstrap molasses
    • Browning sauce (homemade or store bought)

    I find that my homemade browning sauce doesn't yield a jet black cake. It will give you a dark brown cake, as I prefer a jet black cake I used a combination of my homemade and store bought sauce.

    This is only time (that I can think of) where I depended on the store bought kind because I was running low on molasses.

    • For a jet black cake - 4 tablespoon of homemade sauce with 4 tablespoon of store bought browning (if using a combination of both).
    • Use 5-6 tablespoon of store bought browning for a jet black cake or 3 tablespoon or less for a lighter cake.
    • For a dark brown cake use - 6-8tbsp of my homemade browning by itself or ⅓ cup of molasses.

    I'm Caribbean and vegan but not gluten free, can I still make this recipe?

    Yes, just use your preferred flour and it will work just fine.

    Can you keep the cake vegan but add alcohol?

    Yes, Just use alcohol in place of grape juice but stick to the same amount of liquid that is listed.

    Is there an alternative to the browning sauce or molasses?

    Yes, you can use treacle that will give you that dark hue that you need but treacle can be bitter in taste so only use a few tablespoons.

    How important is the applesauce?

    It's very important for structure in place of eggs, don't skip this ingredient!!

    Can you freeze this cake?

    Yes, make sure the cake is completely cool before attempting to freeze. You will also want to cut the cake into slices/portions, wrap it in saran/cling film or press and seal.

    Wrap in aluminium foil and label the cake with the name and date of freezing and freeze for up to 3 months.

    Leave to thaw out on the counter top before consuming.

    Notes/tips

    • I used raw cane sugar for this recipe which is sweeter than coconut sugar, but use whatever sweetener works best for you.
    • 1hr and 30 minutes is a guideline for baking, sometimes black cake can take 2 hours or more to bake.
    • It's normal for the cake to have a few small cracks they tend to close as the cake cools down.
    • Have the ingredients laid out and prepared the night before.
    • Once the cake is baked and cool, store in an air tight container.
    • The cake should last for several days although we eat ours within days of baking it.
    • Use a mixture of fruits i.e  prunes, raisins,, currants etc....for a balanced flavour.
    • When processing the fruit, you will want to pulse to YOUR preferred texture.
    • I used red grape juice as my alcohol alternative but you can use non alcoholic wine.
    • You can use either Bob Red Mills 1 to 1 flour or my homemade GF Flour Blend for this recipe.
    • Don't keep opening the oven door, this will fluctuate the temperature.
    • For best results, after dowsing the cake with liquid allow to cool completely then wrap in saran/cling film to preserve the moisture.

    cake on the stand

    Other Christmas recipes

    • Potato Stuffing 
    • Sorrel Cake
    • Ginger Beer 
    • Sorrel Drink
    • Pouche De Creme
    • Coquito
    • Mulled Wine

    **Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

    cake with decorations

    Jamaican Fruit Cake (Vegan, Gluten free)

    A delicious, super moist fruit cake also known as black cake, the quintessential Caribbean holiday cake. My take on this recipe is vegan friendly, gluten free and contains no alcohol making it perfect for children and drivers to consume throughout the holiday season or weddings.
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Caribbean
    Prep Time: 40 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 381kcal
    Author: Charla

    Ingredients

    Fruit Mix

    • 2½ cups Dried mixed fruit (Cherries, mixed fruit, raisins prunes) (592g)
    • 1 cup Red grape juice (236ml)

    Cake Batter

    • 2 cups Gluten free flour (272g)
    • ½ cup Dairy free butter (106g) must be room temperature!!
    • 1 cup Cane sugar (200g)
    • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon Mixed spice
    • 2 teaspoon Almond essence
    • 2 teaspoon Vanilla
    • ½ teaspoon Baking powder
    • Browning/molasses see the notes
    • ¼ teaspoon Pink salt
    • 1 cup applesauce (244g)
    • ½ cup chopped dried fruit (20g) optional

    Soaking liquid

    • ½ cup warm water (118ml)
    • ½ cup Red grape juice (118ml)
    • 1-2 tablespoon rum flavouring/essence optional
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven 150c/302f/gas mark 2 (this isn't a mistake!!)
    • Grease an 8 inch spring form pan
    • Line the pan by using a pencil/pen to form a circle around the removable base and line the sides. Then set aside.

    For the mix fruit

    • Add all of the fruit to a medium sized saucepan along with the red grape juice and simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes (until most of the liquid has absorbed) then leave to cool down.
    • Add the fruit to your food processor/blender and pulse until your desired texture is achieved. I like a pudding style of cake so I completely puree my fruit. Then set aside.

    For the cake batter

    • Place the gluten free flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, mixed spice, baking powder and pink salt into a medium bowl and combine.
    • In another medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electronic whisk/mixer until fluffy.
    • Add the applesauce, pureed fruit ,browning sauce, almond essence, vanilla and whisk to form a smooth paste.
    • Add the bowl of flour to the wet ingredients - adding the flour a little at a time while whisking until fully incorporated.
    • Any chopped or dried mixed fruit should be added at this stage.
    • Pour the cake batter into the cake pan.
    • Place some water in a large oven proof bowl to create a water bath and place this on the bottom oven shelf underneath the pan (this will help with heat distribution)
    • Bake the cake on the middle shelf for around 1hr and 30 minutes. If the cake is browning too much half way through baking, place some foil over the top of the cake.
    • Once done check the readiness by inserting a skewer or a knife. It should come out clean when done. If not return to the oven to bake for 10-15 minute intervals (foil covered) and repeat.

    For the soaking liquid

    • Combine the grape juice, rum flavouring and water together in a spray bottle and spray the top of the cake.
    • Allow the cake to completely cool (preferably overnight) before slicing (you can spray more liquid once the cake is cool).

    Notes

    • I used raw cane sugar for this recipe which is sweeter than coconut sugar, but use whatever sweetener works best for you.
    • 1hr and 30 minutes is a guideline for baking, sometimes black cake can take 2 hours or more to bake.
    • It's normal for the cake to have a few small cracks they tend to close as the cake cools down.
    • Have the ingredients laid out and prepared the night before.
    • Once the cake is baked and cool, store in an air tight container.
    • The cake should last for several days although we eat ours within days of baking it.
    • Use a mixture of fruits i.e  prunes, raisins,, currants etc....for a balanced flavour.
    • When processing the fruit, you will want to pulse to YOUR preferred texture.
    • I used red grape juice as my alcohol alternative but you can use non alcoholic wine.
    • You can use either Bob Red Mills 1 to 1 flour or my homemade GF Flour Blend for this recipe.
    • Don't keep opening the oven door, this will fluctuate the temperature.
    • For best results, after dowsing the cake with liquid allow to cool completely then wrap in saran/cling film to preserve the moisture.

    Darkening the cake

    • For a jet black cake - 4 tablespoon of homemade sauce with 4 tablespoon of store bought browning.
    • Use 5-6 tablespoon of store bought browning for a jet black cake or 3 tablespoon or less for lighter cake.
    • For a dark brown cake use - 6-8tbsp of my homemade browning by itself or ⅓ cup of molasses.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!
    « Vegan Pumpkin Parfait
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    About Charla

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kellie Wint

      September 05, 2022 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars
      Is there a way to make the cake a little more fluffy/less dense even with the applesauce? I like the taste of the apple in my black cake but some people say it's too dense. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 05, 2022 at 8:45 pm

        Hi Kellie, I cannot speak for other black cakes however, my version will be quite dense even if you were to use something else in place of applesauce. In terms of vegan baking, I know some people use aquafaba (whipped up chickpea water) to make vegan egg whites, however I haven't tried this and I'm not sure how it would turn out with the ratio of wet to dry ingredients. So sorry but I do hope that helps! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Nancy

      March 03, 2022 at 4:29 pm

      Thank you Charla for sharing your expertise on Jamaican recipes such as this Black Cake. I have made it 4 times since Christmas as I had soaked a lot of fruit. This recipe is perfection. It is very forgiving, as well. I've used different quantities of flours, usually white rice/ brown rice/ tapioca starch/ corn starch in slightly different quantities and it always works out. No need for xanthan or flax, as the sheer amount of fruit mix holds the cake together fantastically. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Charla

        March 03, 2022 at 4:49 pm

        Thank you for stopping by Nancy and sharing your experience/adjustments to the recipe. You are most welcome!

        Reply
    3. paul

      January 03, 2022 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      Hello, late to the party. Thanks for posting this recipe. Since the recipe is egg-free I want to use bob mills flack seed meal as a replacement, but I also know that the apple sauce is a good replacement for eggs as well. How do you feel about adding flack-seed meal to this recipe and do you think this is overkill? I tried this before in my version of the fruit cake and it came out fine, but I wanted to try your version as well to compare.
      Also, I used a combination of buckwheat flour, almond, and gold medal all-purpose flour in my version. Your feedback is appreciated.

      Reply
      • Charla

        January 03, 2022 at 5:59 pm

        Hi Paul, I know a few Jamaicans who used flaxseed meal in their cakes including black cake. I prefer to use applesauce for more moisture and leave out the flaxseed meal. The cake should workout fine with the flaxseed meal, but it does depend on how much you intend to use? I hope that helps!

        Reply
    4. Suzette Cameron

      December 16, 2021 at 5:37 pm

      Hey Charla.

      Does that cake in the photo match your recipe?

      Reply
      • Charla

        December 16, 2021 at 5:38 pm

        Yes, it's my photo and it's according to the recipe.

        Reply
      • Yulonda Smith

        January 01, 2022 at 12:11 am

        Hi Charla,
        Can I substitute vegan butter with coconut oil?

        Reply
        • Charla

          January 01, 2022 at 12:50 am

          Hi there, I haven't tried oil instead of butter so I cannot confidently say whether or not it will make a huge difference, sorry!

          Reply
          • Yulonda Smith

            January 01, 2022 at 9:34 pm

            Np, I'll experiment and provide feedback.

            Reply
            • Charla

              January 01, 2022 at 9:42 pm

              Alrighty!

        • Nancy

          March 03, 2022 at 4:30 pm

          I always use vegan butter for Charla's recipe and it is perfect. You'll notice a little separation in the batter when you add the fruit mix, but once baked it's perfection.

          Reply
    5. Sarina

      November 22, 2021 at 6:45 pm

      Hi is the flour plain or self raising ? X

      Reply
      • Charla

        November 22, 2021 at 7:49 pm

        Hi Sarina, this recipe calls for gluten free flour, plain flour, if that helps!

        Reply
        • Sarinst

          November 24, 2021 at 8:13 pm

          Thank you so much x

          Reply
          • Charla

            November 24, 2021 at 9:03 pm

            You are very welcome

            Reply
    6. Danny

      November 15, 2021 at 3:24 pm

      Hi Charla. I'm in the process of soaking the fruits in Alcohol. Is is imperative I cook the the fruit prior to making the cake?

      Reply
      • Charla

        November 15, 2021 at 3:32 pm

        Hi Danny, I personally would recommend doing so (I haven't tried it without cooking either) because you need to cook the fruit in order to make it into a soft smooth puree and to help get the right consistency for the cake. Also, if you are soaking the fruit in alcohol then this will reduce the alcohol content unless you want the cake to be extra boozy. I hope that helps!

        Reply
        • Danny

          November 22, 2021 at 6:09 pm

          5 stars
          Thank you Charla. That helps. I won't be adding additional alcohol. I don't want the alcohol to be the main flavor.

          Reply
          • Charla

            November 22, 2021 at 7:49 pm

            No problem and you are welcome.

            Reply
        • Danny

          November 22, 2021 at 7:37 pm

          Hi Charla...sorry to bother you...how long would you recommend soaking the fruit in the alcohol?

          Reply
          • Charla

            November 22, 2021 at 7:52 pm

            Ask as many questions are you need to Danny, I'm here to help!! Typically the fruit is soaked in alcohol for months or even years in advance. I would advise soaking it for as long as you can up until you need to make the recipe but for future reference it is soaked for a very very long time ahead of preparing the black cake. I hope that helps!

            Reply
            • Danny

              November 23, 2021 at 12:29 am

              So as time goes on, I assume we would need to add more alcohol?

            • Charla

              November 23, 2021 at 7:09 am

              If you have multiple questions can I ask that you drop me an email instead please [email protected]

    7. Ashley T

      December 25, 2020 at 4:16 am

      I made this for Christmas this year. I have not had black cake for over 10 years and it tastes exactly how I remember, but better. I used almond flour, brown rice flour, along with bob's red mill 1 to 1 flour and it worked just as well (: Thank you for the recipe

      Reply
      • Charla

        December 25, 2020 at 7:22 am

        Thank you for your feedback Ashley, glad you liked the recipe.

        Reply
    8. Beth

      December 01, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so delicious and scrumptious! I can't wait to give this a try! My family is going to love this!

      Reply
      • Charla

        December 01, 2020 at 2:30 pm

        Thanks Beth. They will definitely love this cake.

        Reply
    9. Katherine

      December 01, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      5 stars
      I'm so excited to try this version of Christmas fruitcake!

      Reply
      • Charla

        December 01, 2020 at 2:30 pm

        I'm excited for you!!

        Reply
    10. Alison

      December 01, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      5 stars
      This fruit cake is gorgeous and moist and delicious too!

      Reply
      • Charla

        December 01, 2020 at 1:12 pm

        I totally agree Alison

        Reply
    11. Chris Collins

      December 01, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      5 stars
      Now this is my kinda of fruit cake! So perfect for this time of year too 🙂

      Reply
      • Charla

        December 01, 2020 at 1:12 pm

        Thank you so much Chris

        Reply
    12. Jill

      December 01, 2020 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      This definitely looks more appealing than the fruitcakes I've been more used to seeing - with neon green and red fruit in it. I'd love to try a piece!!

      Reply
      • Charla

        December 01, 2020 at 1:08 pm

        Thank you Jill. It's definitely a unique cake.

        Reply

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