Rum cake

{{Short description|Type of dessert}}

{{Redirect|Black Cake|the 2023 American miniseries|Black Cake (TV series)}}

{{Infobox food

| alternate_name =

| country =

| image = File:Rum cake.jpg

| caption = A slice of rum cake

| region = Caribbean

| creator =

| course = Dessert

| type = Cake

| served =

| main_ingredient = flour, rum, sugar, spices, eggs, and butter

| variations = Dried fruit, Candied fruit, almonds and walnuts

| calories =

| other =

}}

File:Rum Cake Factory Bermuda.JPG]]

A rum cake or black cake is a type of dessert cake which contains rum. In most of the Caribbean, rum cakes are a traditional holiday season dessert, descended from the holiday puddings (such as figgy pudding). Traditionally, dried fruit is soaked in rum for months and then added to dough prepared with sugar which has been caramelized by boiling in water. The result, also known as "black cake", is similar to a fruitcake, with a lighter texture.{{ cite web |url=https://yourkoseli.com/product-category/tiramisu-cakes-in-nepal/ |title= Tiramisu Black Cake }}

File:Trinidad and Tobago-style black cake.jpgIn Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, fruits are preserved in cherry brandy or rum to be used in the making of black cake. Black cake is traditionally associated with Christmas and weddings in Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.

On the mainland United States, rum cakes have been popular since at least the 1970s.{{Cite web|url=http://www.southernliving.com/desserts/cakes/popular-cakes-by-year#1977-rum-cake|title=Southern Living - The Most Popular Cakes in Southern History|website=Southern Living}} While many island travelers go out of their way to pick up a Caribbean variety, more and more small U.S. companies{{Cite web|url=http://www.txrocknrumcakecompany.com|title=Texas Rock'n Rum Cake Company}}{{Cite web|url=https://fullspiritedflavours.com/|title=Full Spirited Flavours - Rum Cakes and Liqueur Cakes}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.capefearrumcake.com|title=Cape Fear Rum Cake}}{{Cite web|url=http://judesrumcake.com/|title=Jude's Rum Cake}} are competing, much the way that craft beers are competing with the large beer manufacturers. Some offer baked-to-order rum cakes. Some infuse the rum directly into their cakes (instead of glazing). Many appear to have a decades-old special recipe. In Puerto Rico, rum cake is called Bizcocho de Ron, and is a sponge cake, so as to absorb the rum. If 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 are given as gifts during the holiday season.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

It is possible to become intoxicated from consumption of an excessive amount of rum cake, and some rum cakes contain even more than five percent of certain grain alcohols,{{clarify|date=July 2018}}{{cite book |title=Food culture in the Caribbean |first=Lynn Marie |last=Houston |pages=64–65 |year=2005}} though some are made to consistently contain less than 0.5% alcohol.{{cite web |url=http://www.tortugarumcakes.com/tortuga_faq |title=Tortuga Rum Cakes FAQ |website=Tortuga |access-date=July 22, 2017 |archive-date=February 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203020557/https://www.tortugarumcakes.com/tortuga_faq |url-status=dead }} It is typically made with plums and raisins soaked in rum, as well as brown sugar and a bittersweet caramel called "browning".

{{clear}}