Jamaican fruit cake or Christmas black cake is a type of Caribbean dessert cake that contains a small portion of rum. In most of the Caribbean, rum cakes are a traditional holiday season dessert. Traditionally, dried fruit is soaked in rum for months and then added to dough prepared with brown sugar which has been caramelized.
In Trinidad and Tobago, fruits are preserved in cherry brandy to be used in the making of the black cake. Black cake or fruit cake is traditionally associated with Christmas in Trinidad and Tobago.
In Puerto Rico, rum cake is called Bizcocho de Ron, and is a sponge cake, so as to absorb the rum. If the fruit is added to it, it is fresh or dried. Raisins and sultanas may be soaked in rum for one day or one night. Bizcochos de Ron is given as gifts during the holiday season.
Many island travelers and vacationers go out of their way to pick up a Caribbean variety of rum cake during the holiday seasons. It is possible to become intoxicated from consumption of an excessive amount of rum cake, and some rum cakes such as Tortuga contain even more than 0.5% of certain grain alcohols. Islsnac's are made to consistently contain less than 0.5% alcohol. It is typically made with plums and raisins soaked in rum, as well as brown sugar and a bittersweet caramel called "Browning". Learn more about Jamaican fruit cake here