Jamaican Vegan Fruit Cake

Dried fruit and abundant spices keep this Jamaican vegan fruit cake moist and flavorful. Make this traditional Christmas dessert with or without alcohol.

This vegan Jamaican fruit cake is a dense, moist cake filled with mixed candied fruits, raisins or currants and warm spices. It’s eggless and dairy-free.

The fruits are soaked in port wine and rum, similar to the authentic version, but this recipe can easily be made without alcohol.

It’s also called rum cake, Christmas cake, due to its popularity during the Holidays, and black cake, due to the addition of browning, which gives the cake an intense dark brown color.

A traditional way to enjoy this cake in Jamaican households is with a glass of Sorrel as an after-dinner dessert during the Holidays.

It’s a cake I’ve made for my family for many years. I hope it will also become one of your family’s traditions.

Key Ingredient Notes

• Mixed candied fruit and peel – often include dried orange peel, lemon peel, cherries and pineapple. It’s available online if you can’t find it in stores.
• Dried currants or raisins – adds more fruity flavor and sweetness. They are also available online.

• Port wine and White Rum – for soaking the dried fruits. White overproof rum is commonly used, but any 80-proof white rum will also work.
  Wray & Nephew Red Label Wine is a traditionally used fortified port wine brand, but it may not be easy to find outside of Jamaica.
  A good substitute is ruby port wine, such as Taylor’s. It’s the closest flavor to Red Label Wine with a slightly sweeter taste. I do not recommend using dry red wine.
  
  For an alcohol-free option, use warm water.

• All-purpose flour – or plain flour. Use the spoon and level method to measure.
• Dark brown sugar – adds a rich flavor to the cake.
• Mixed baking spice – should include cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, anise and mace.
• Vegan butter or margarine – adds flavor, but you can use a neutral-flavored oil instead.
• Molasses – adds some brown color, but browning sauce is preferred for a more traditional black cake.
• Vinegar – when paired with baking soda, it helps the cake rise. Either apple cider or white vinegar may be used.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the dried fruits

• Add the dried fruits to a food storage container, and cover them with the port wine and rum. Use a spoon to ensure the fruits are submerged.
  Alcohol-free option: soak the fruits in 1 cup/250ml of warm water.
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap and soak in the alcohol at room temperature for at least 12 hours or overnight. 

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Use vegan butter or margarine to grease a 7-by-3-inch loaf cake pan.
3. Add the sugar to a large bowl, and sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mixed baking spice. Stir to combine and set aside.

4. Add the oil, molasses or browning, vanilla extract, almond extract, vinegar, and water to the soaked dried fruits. Blend using a hand or stand mixer until smooth.

5. Gradually stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients until a thick batter is formed. Slowly add more water if needed but try not to overmix.

6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cake has risen and a skewer or cake tester inserted comes out clean.

7. Allow the fruit cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. While it is still warm, cover the cake with the remaining Red Label or port wine, then cover it with aluminum foil.

8. Let the cake cool completely before running a knife around the edges of the loaf pan to release it. Slice and serve!

Steamed Pudding Method

1. Place the loaf pan in a large, deep metal baking pan.
2. Fill the large pan halfway up the sides of the loaf pan to create a water bath.
3. Cover the cake pan with aluminum foil, baking for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the cake has set in the middle. The fruit cake will have a denser texture and be moister with this method.

Notes & Substitutions

• Browning or browning sauce adds a deeper brown color to sweet and savory dishes. Popularly used in Jamaican dishes, this sauce gives a more intense color than molasses. However, too much can result in a salty and bitter cake.
• This recipe makes an approximately 2½ pound cake.
• An 8-by-2-inch or 9-by-2-inch loaf pan will also work for this cake. A shorter baking time may be needed for larger pans, so adjust accordingly.
• Alcohol-free fruit cake will be moister than the version made with alcohol, so the baked fruit cake may not need to be covered in more liquid once it is cooked. It will also taste sweeter, so reduce the sugar to ¾ cup/113g.
• Usually, fruits are soaked for lengthy periods for more intense flavor – even up to a year!
• If you have a large batch of pre-soaked fruits, use about 500g of the drained fruits plus 54g of the soaking liquid for this recipe.
• If you like pieces of fruit in the cake, stir in an extra ¼ to ½ cup (50g to 100g) of the candied fruit or currants into the batter before adding it to the loaf pan.

Key Tips

• Traditionally, only rum and port wine are used in Jamaican Christmas cakes and no other types of alcohol.
• Be sure not to overmix the batter, as stirring too much will cause the gluten to develop, creating a tough fruit cake. 

Storage

Vegan fruit cake will store for a surprisingly long time without spoiling. Especially when soaked in alcohol after baking.

When wrapped tightly in plastic, it can last up to 1 month at room temperature, 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator, and up to a year in the freezer.

Individual cake slices can be frozen if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

However, if the fruit cake is alcohol-free, it should be eaten within 2 to 3 days. It can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature.

FAQs

Where did fruit cake originate?

It’s likely developed from British plum pudding, recipes that colonizers brought to the Caribbean. It is sometimes called “black cake” due to the rich dark color achieved through browning sauce.

How long can I soak the dried fruits?

While the fruits can be used after soaking for as short as 12 hours for a more intense flavor, soak for a longer time. Traditionally, they were soaked in rum and port wine for up to a year or longer.

When is Jamaican fruit cake served?

This cake heralds back to the British plum pudding served during Christmas. The holiday traditions surrounding this cake remain in place in Jamaican culture.

More Jamaican recipes

• Jamaican Easter Bun Recipe with Yeast
• Jamaican Rice and Peas
• Jamaican Pigeon Peas and Rice
• Vegan Jamaican Curry Tofu
• Vegan Jamaican Patties
• Jamaican Vegan Stew Peas

Jamaican Vegan Fruit Cake (with Alcohol-free Option)

4.75 from 4 votes

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Preparing The Fruits: 12 hours hrs

Total: 13 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 16

Calories: 285kcal

Print Pin Rate

Dried fruit and an abundance of spices keep this eggless Jamaican Christmas cake moist and rich in flavor. Make this traditional Christmas dessert with or without alcohol.

Author: Jhanelle Golding

Equipment

• 7-inch by 3-inch (18cm by 8cm) cake pan
• Blender
• Mixing bowls
• Sifter

Baking Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements and measuring spoons.

Ingredients

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Soaked Fruits:

• ▢ ¾ cup (150 g) mixed candied fruit and peel
• ▢ 1 cup (150 g) dried currants or raisins
• ▢ ¾ cup (150 ml) Red Label Wine, (or ruby port wine such as Taylor’s)
• ▢ ½ cup (100 ml) white overproof rum, or any 80 proof white rum

Fruit Cake:

• ▢ 2½ cup (300 g) all-purpose flour, or plain flour (spooned and levelled)
• ▢ 1 cup (150 g) dark brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1½ tbsp (8 g) mixed baking spice
• ▢ ½ cup (100 ml) melted vegan butter, plus extra (or neutral flavored oil)
• ▢ 1 tbsp molasses, or 2 tsp browning sauce for color (optional, See Notes)
• ▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ 1 tbsp vinegar, apple cider or white
• ▢ ¼ cup (50 ml) water, or more if needed
• ▢ ½ cup (100 ml) Red Label Wine, or ruby port for soaking the cake

Instructions

Prepare the fruits:

• Add the fruits to a food storage container and cover them with the port wine and rum. Alcohol-free option: soak the fruits in 1 cup/250ml of warm water.
  ¾ cup (150 g) mixed candied fruit and peel ,1 cup (150 g) dried currants or raisins ,¾ cup (150 ml) Red Label Wine ,½ cup (100 ml) white overproof rum
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave them to soak at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight.

Make the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Grease a 7-by-3 inch cake pan with oil, vegan butter or margarine.
• Add the sugar to a large bowl. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mixed baking spice. Set aside.
  2½ cup (300 g) all-purpose flour ,1 cup (150 g) dark brown sugar ,1½ teaspoon baking powder ,½ teaspoon baking soda ,¼ teaspoon salt ,1½ tbsp (8 g) mixed baking spice
• Add the vegan butter, molasses, vanilla, almond extract, vinegar, and water to the soaked fruits with wine. Blend with a hand or stand blender until smooth.
  ½ cup (100 ml) melted vegan butter ,1 tbsp molasses ,2 teaspoon vanilla extract ,1½ teaspoon almond extract ,1 tbsp vinegar ,¼ cup (50 ml) water
• Gradually stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. Gradually add more water if needed to create a thick batter. Try not to overmix.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Allow it to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. While still warm, cover the cake with the remaining red label or port wine then cover with aluminum foil.
  ½ cup (100 ml) Red Label Wine
• Let it cool completely before releasing it from the pan, slicing and serving.

Steamed pudding method:

• Place the cake pan in a large, deep metal baking pan.
• Fill halfway up the sides of the cake pan with water to create a water bath.
• Cover the cake pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until it’s set in the middle. Add more water to the baking pan as needed. The texture will be more moist and denser than the cake method.

Notes

• Browning or browning sauce adds a deeper brown color to sweet and savory dishes. It’s popularly used in Jamaican dishes, giving them a more intense color than molasses. However, too much can make the cake salty and bitter.
• This recipe makes an approximate 2½ lb cake.
• You may also use 8-by-2-inch or 9-by-2-inch pans. A shorter baking time may be needed for larger pans.
• Alcohol-free fruit cake will be moister than the version made with alcohol, so you might not need to cover it with liquid after baking. It will also taste sweeter, so you can reduce the sugar to ¾ cup/113g.
• Traditionally, only rum and wine are used—no other types of alcohol.
• Usually, fruits are soaked for lengthy periods for more flavor – even up to a year!
• If you have a large batch of pre-soaked fruits, use about 500g of the drained fruits plus 54g of the soaking liquid for this recipe.
• If you like pieces of fruit in the cake, stir in an extra ¼ to ½ cup (50g to 100g) of the candied fruit or currants into the batter before adding it to the pan.
• When wrapped tightly in plastic, the cake can last up to 1 month at room temperature, 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator, and up to a year in the freezer.
  Individual cake slices can be frozen if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
  However, if the fruit cake is alcohol-free, it should be eaten within 2 to 3 days. Store tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature.

Tried this recipe? Upload a photo in the comments below!If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a rating. It really helps the blog.

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Jamaican

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian