Gluten Free Black Cake has all the flavor you love of traditional Caribbean black cake without the gluten hangover. It’s dense, moist, and made with rum-soaked macerated fruits for a delicious dessert suitable for parties and holidays.
Gluten Free Black Cake
I love black cake! However, I don’t enjoy the tummy ache that comes after I’ve indulged in a slice or two. So I used a mixture of gluten free ingredients to come up with this gluten free black cake.
Last year I substituted the wheat flour in my black cake recipe for a gluten free flour. The results were good but after a few days of soaking in rum, the cake became grainy and almost inedible. This year I used a combination of gluten free flours. It’s been a week and it is still yummy and not grainy. I’ve also added a page to my blog for all things gluten free. Check it out here for other great gluten-free recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Gluten Free Black Cake Recipe
- Tried and True: Most gluten free cake recipes aren’t as simple as swapping all purpose flour for gluten-free flour. Through trial and error, I found a combination that nearly replicates the taste and feel of black cake without gluten. So you can easily have the perfect cake without making the same mistakes!
- Tasty for any Palate: This cake is sweet, moist, and indulgent. I guarantee you even gluten eaters will appreciate this gluten free black cake.
- Perfect for Celebrations: It’s not a party without cake and this gluten free black cake is bound to please! Black cake popular holiday dessert in the Caribbean, especially during Christmas.
Ingredients for Gluten Free Black Cake
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- Butter: It’s much easier to combine ingredients with room-temperature butter because it’s softened.
- Granulated sugar: This adds the sweetness you expect.
- Eggs: This adds moisture and contributes to the structure of the cake.
- King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour, Potato Flour & Almond Flour: I use a combination of gluten free flours for the perfect cake consistency.
- Baking powder: An essential for most baking recipes.
- Spices: I use a warm spice blend of ground cinnamon, powdered/ground ginger, freshly grated nutmeg, and clove powder.
- Orange zest: This adds a bright pop of citrus.
- Rum-soaked macerated fruits: This is the heart of your recipe. It adds moisture, texture, and that boozy flavor everyone loves.
- Browning: Add this for the deep brown hue.
- Vanilla essence and Almond essence: These complement the fruity flavors.
- Dark Caribbean rum: The alcohol keeps the cake moist, preventing it from drying out. It also acts a natural preservative, helping to extend the shelf life of the cake.
- Port wine: This has a bold taste and color that adds to the richness of the cake.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Gluten Free Black Cake
Soak Fruits for Gluten Free Black Cake
We can’t make black cake without rum-soaked fruits and this gluten free black cake is no exception. Check out my Soaked Fruits recipe to learn how to soak fruit. For this recipe, you need to process 1.5 lbs of soaked fruits into a smooth paste.
Gluten Free Black Cake Batter
After creaming the sugar and butter and adding the eggs, add the dry ingredients to the egg, sugar, and butter mixture and mix to form a smooth batter. This black cake batter is thick and pasty looking because of the types of flour used, but don’t be nervous! It still makes a delicious cake.
I used my stand mixer but you can use a handheld mixer if you prefer.
Add the Fruits, Burnt Sugar, Rum and Wine
I added browning, wine, essence, rum, and orange zest to the macerated fruits and mixed it really well. Usually, I add the fruits and wet ingredients to the creamed butter, sugar, and eggs and then add in the dry ingredients. However, while baking this cake I was a little distracted by my kids and ended up doing it this way.
It didn’t impact the taste or texture of the black cake but I did notice that there were a few tiny patches in the finished cake, where the cake batter didn’t quite mix with the fruits and browning. I highly recommend adding the fruits to the creamed butter and sugar first, then adding the dry ingredients a little at a time.
Bake Gluten Free Black Cake
When I lived in Guyana my mom baked her Black cake, Fruit Cake and Sponge Cake in Danish cookie tins. For a bit of nostalgia and because I didn’t have a tin small enough for this cake, I used a cookie tin I bought from the dollar store. Just like I would a regular baking pan, I greased the cookie tin with butter and lined it with parchment paper.
Before I put the tin in the oven, I covered the bottom with a bit of foil. The cookie tin was really thin and I didn’t want the cake to burn. The tin worked well and my cake baked up perfectly.
The batter for this cake is very thick. So I use a wet spatula to smooth the top out a bit before baking. After baking,pour a tablespoon of dark Caribbean rum over the top of the cake. As the cake cools it will darken. Once the cake cools completely, wrap it with plastic wrap.
Storage
Keep the cake covered in an airtight container. Let the cake rest for 2-3 days before serving. Black cake is better served stale. Allow the flavors to meld and the rum to soak into the cake before serving.
Tips for the Best Gluten Free Black Cake
- For the best results, add the fruits to the creamed butter and sugar first, then gradually add the dry ingredients.
- This recipe yields a small 6-inch round pan of cake. When I am making gluten-free desserts, I usually scale down and make smaller portions because I’m the only one eating it, and I don’t want to overindulge.
- This is a gluten free cake so the batter will look slightly thicker and denser than regular cake batter before baking. But once baked you will not be able to tell the difference between this cake and a regular wheat-based cake.
- Feel free to add more than 1 tablespoon of rum to your cake when it first comes out of the oven if you like! Black cake gets better with age.
- Let your cake rest for at least 3 days before eating, it will be worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Black cake was adapted from traditional plum pudding recipes and introduced to the Caribbean by British colonizers during the 18th century. Islanders adapted these recipes by adding indigenous ingredients and local spirits.
Although recipes vary, this gluten free black cake recipe includes gluten free flour, potato flour, almond flour, rum soaked macerated fruits, eggs, butter, an assortment of spices, orange zest, dark rum and port wine.
Gluten Free Black Cake
Equipment
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 6-inch Round baking/cake pan
- Plastic/Saran wrap
Ingredients
- 1 stick of butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup of King Arthur measure for measure flour
- 1/4 cup of potato flour
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon clove powder
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 1/2 lbs rum soaked macerated fruits
- 3 tablespoons browning
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon almond essence
- 3 tablespoons dark Caribbean rum
- 1/4 cup port wine
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time until all are combined
- Add fruits, then browning, 2 tablespoons of rum, all of the wine, vanilla essence, almond essence and orange zest
- In a separate bowl, combine the measure for measure flour, potato flour and almond flour
- Then add the nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and baking powder
- Add the dried ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time and combine to make a smooth batter
- Preheat oven to 300 °F
- Scoop batter into a greased 6 inch round baking/cake pan
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the cake comes out clean and free of batter
- I start to check the cake at 1 hour and 10 minutes and keep checking every 10 minutes to ensure it doesn’t burn
- Once the cake is completely cooked and a tooth pick inserted into the cake comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven
- Brush a tablespoon of rum over the top of the cake while it is still hot
- Let cake cool completely, then wrap with plastic wrap and let rest for 2-3 days before enjoying
Notes
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
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Dana Says
Hello I love your recipes! Thanks for sharing! Can I use more Gluten free flour to substitute the potato flour as I decided 10 minutes ago to make black cake?
Elena Says
Hi Althea, I love all your recipes as a gf person married into a Guyanese family, they are truly life saving! A question for you – where does the port come into the recipe? I am guessing it’s used for the initial soak of the fruit based on what my FIL says his mother used to do (use red wine to soak) But wanted to double check.
Thanks again, and I wish you and yours endless happiness and blessings in the new year!
JP Says
I just made this. It is so good. I will surprise some friends on Thanksgiving
Althea Brown Says
Yay!
Joan Says
Do you mean potato flour or potato starch?
Althea Brown Says
Potato flour
Althea Brown Says
Also I recently shared a simple recipe for black cake using almond flour. You can search for it above
Deon Says
Can I order one and you ship to me?
Althea Brown Says
Sorry I don’t sell cakes. Just sharing the recipes so you can make it at home.
Safhrana Bhikam Says
Was a ver cheep cake. They Use to cut it into big squares to sell. Almost rubbery to the touch. If u press on it it woul sling back. If i am not wrong it was considered a poor man cake. When you buy it from the snackers u can get a mix of that, jam slice (which i made toniGht) and red cake. I am from berbice so iDk if it’s a berbice Thing.
Althea Brown Says
Ok I’ll ask
Caren Says
Hi,
I am curious and would love to try this cake but the recipe calls for “3 TBSP Browning”, what is Browning?
Althea Brown Says
Browning is a dark caramel syrup made from brown sugar
Michelle B Says
…its ‘burnt’ sugar ! , ..made with the window open and the fan on full blast… preferably in a heavy iron skillet or dutch oven. (tip, have on hand a kettle of boiling water , and a bowl of ice water just incase! )
Safhrana Bhikam Says
Was a ver cheep cake. They Use to cut it into big squares to sell. Almo rubbery to the touch. If u press on it it woul sling back. If i am not wrong it was considered a poor man cake. When you buy it from the snackers u can get a mix of that, jam slice (which i made toniGht) and red cake. I am from berbice so iDk if it’s a berbice Thing.
Safhrana Bhikam Says
No. There’s no pastry Dough on the one i am talking about. It’s black like black cake, but not made with fruits. Does not have a Cake teXture either.
Althea Brown Says
Hmmm I’ll have to consult with my mom and aunt and see if they know.
Safhrana Bhikam Says
Hi i love your recipes. I have Neen doing very well wi them. Thank you so much. I have been looking for a while now for this local black cake we use to have in guyana. They use to say it was made from stale bread lol. Wou you haPpen to have any idea how its made?
Althea Brown Says
Are you talking about Chester Cake?