Caribbean Black Cake with Rum and Port

Combine the golden raisins, dark raisins, currants, prunes, dried cherries, and candied peel (if using) in a large glass jar or bowl. Pour over the 300ml of dark rum, ruby port, Angostura bitters, vanilla extract, orange juice, and orange zest. Stir well with a wooden spoon, cover tightly, and let soak at cool room temperature for at least 1 week, preferably 2 to 4 weeks, stirring once daily for the first 3 days. The fruit should absorb most of the liquid and plump significantly.

Make the browning sauce: spread 150g of dark muscovado sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon as the sugar softens, darkens, and foams. Continue for 8-12 minutes until the sugar turns a deep mahogany and smells bittersweet. Remove from heat and carefully pour in 120ml of boiling water (the mixture will bubble violently). Stir until smooth, then transfer to a heatproof jar and cool completely. Yields about 250ml.

When the fruit has finished soaking, drain it through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving all the soaking liquid. Transfer the fruit to a food processor in two batches and pulse until coarsely chopped; pieces should be about the size of a small raisin, not puréed.

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Grease a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin that is at least 7.5cm (3 inches) deep. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then wrap the outside of the tin tightly with two layers of heavy-duty foil to prevent leaks.

In a large mixing bowl, cream 225g of softened butter and 150g of dark muscovado sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, scraping the bowl down halfway through, about 5 minutes.

Add the 4 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. The mixture may look slightly curdled at first but will come back together with continued beating.

Beat in 80ml of the prepared browning sauce, 30ml of molasses, and the almond extract (if using) until smooth and evenly colored, about 2 minutes. The batter should now be a deep mahogany brown.

Sift together the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and baking powder into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine the spices evenly through the flour.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter in three additions, alternating with two additions of about 60ml of the reserved fruit-soaking liquid (about 120ml total). Fold gently with a silicone spatula after each addition until just combined; do not overmix.

Fold the chopped soaked fruit into the batter, distributing it evenly throughout. The batter will be very thick and heavy; this is normal for a Caribbean black cake.

Transfer the batter to the prepared tin, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon and creating a slight well in the center (the cake will dome as it bakes). Tap the tin firmly on the counter 3 times to release trapped air bubbles.

Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 2 to 2.5 hours. After 1 hour, tent the top loosely with foil if it is browning too quickly. The cake is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 95°C (203°F) and a skewer emerges with moist crumbs but no wet batter. The internal temperature of 95°C (203°F) ensures the dense, fruit-laden center is fully cooked and safe.

Cool the cake in the tin on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack and cool completely, about 1 hour longer.

Pierce the top and sides of the cooled cake all over with a skewer, going about 2-3cm deep. Brush or spoon 60-90ml of the reserved soaking liquid (or fresh dark rum) evenly over the surface, letting it absorb fully into the crumb.

Soak a large piece of cheesecloth in aged dark rum and wrap it snugly around the entire cake. Wrap the cheesecloth-covered cake in a layer of heavy-duty foil, then place it in an airtight cake tin or container.

Age the cake in a cool, dark place (16-21°C / 60-70°F) for at least 1 week, preferably 4 to 6 weeks. Every 7 days, unwrap the cake, brush 30-45ml of aged dark rum evenly over the surface, and rewrap in fresh rum-soaked cheesecloth and foil. The cake is ready when the crumb is saturated, deeply aromatic, and the alcohol has mellowed into the fruit and spice.