Grandma Irma’s Guyanese Black Cake Recipe

Guyanese Black Cake, often simply called "black cake," is a treasured Caribbean holiday classic enjoyed at Christmas, weddings, and special family gatherings. Across the Caribbean this dessert goes by many names including fruitcake, Christmas cake, and wedding cake and every island has its own unique touch.

Making black cake at Christmas brings back the sweetest memories. Growing up in Guyana, I watched my granny mill her fruits by hand, soaking everything in a plastic bucket filled with her favorite wines. This year while preparing my own blended fruits I called her and discovered she was soaking her fruits on the exact same day....still faithfully using her old mill. Moments like these remind me why the traditional Guyanese Black Cake recipe is so special and why it remains such an important part of Caribbean holiday baking.

The roots of Caribbean black cake trace back to British colonial times when plum pudding was introduced to the islands. Caribbean cooks transformed it using local fruits, warm spices, and bold soaking techniques — rum, sweet wine, or both. The result is a rich, deeply flavored dessert that carries history and family tradition in every slice.

My Grandma Irma's recipe has been passed down through generations. Now I am proud to share it with my daughter so this beautiful tradition continues.

Note: For a full walk-through on how to soak and then blend your fruits for the classic Guyanese black cake , including alternative methods and video guidance, check out “How to Blend and Soak Fruits for Guyanese Black Cake ” before you start your batter.

Be sure to check out these Guyanese favorites on the blog: 

Soft Guyanese Roti 

Caribbean Fried Bakes & Saltfish 

 Guyanese Chicken Curry.

How do I like my Black Cake ?

Grandma Irma puts currants in her black cake and I do the same. It's part of what gives the Guyanese black cake that rich, traditional flavor. Also, I do not like a lot of sugar in my black cake. It’s just a personal preference. Taste your batter to determine if additional sugar is needed. I also don’t like nuts in my black cake but you can add nuts as well. You can put some rum into your cake batter if you want; I personally pour a lot of rum on top instead.

Helpful Tips for making Black Cake

• Cream your room temperature butter, either using a whisk or stand mixer

• No need for baking powder since you are using 12 eggs. It does the job.

• Remove the chalazae (white string part) from the eggs. Grandma Irma specifically instructed me to do so as she referred to it as the ‘embryo’. This removes the rank smell from the eggs. Alternatively, you can use lemon zest.

• Crack your eggs into a separate bowl. You can also add all the spices and extracts into the eggs then incorporate into your creamed butter. Add eggs bit by bit to avoid curdling.

• Grandma Irma covered her black cake for the first 1 hour of baking with foil for it to steam and cook.

• Burnt sugar is sold in most Caribbean markets.

• Just a preference, I love to use fresh spices mostly in my black cake instead of the already grounded store-bought ones.

• Cover your black cake with a kitchen towel to cool after pouring the rum to retain the moisture.

Storage and maintaining moisture

Store on a cake stand with a lid or in a tightly closed container and add a bit of rum every 3 days to retain moisture.

Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below—I’d love to hear how you enjoyed it!