Desserts
Colombian Black Cake
This Colombian Christmas fruitcake combines wine-soaked raisins, prunes and candied orange peel. Deeply caramelized panela gives it a dark color and rich flavor without chocolate; the crumb is dense and moist.
Part of the collection: Colombian Christmas recipes
- Total time
- 3167 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cuisine
- Colombian
Ingredients
Method
Soak the fruit
Soak the raisins, prunes and candied peel in the 200 ml wine in a covered container for 48 hours in the refrigerator at 4 °C or below.
Darken the panela
Cook the 100 g panela with the 30 ml water over medium heat for 8–10 minutes to form a very dark brown caramel, without smoke or black patches.
Dilute the caramel
Off the heat, slowly add the 70 ml boiling water using a long spoon, then dissolve over low heat for about 2 minutes. Use this panela syrup cold in step 7.
Cream the butter
Beat the 200 g soft butter with the 120 g sugar for 4–5 minutes until creamy.
Beat in the eggs
Gradually beat the 200 g egg into the butter mixture over about 3 minutes.
Fold in the dry ingredients
Fold in the 220 g flour, 6 g baking powder, 3 g cinnamon, 0.5 g cloves and 2 g salt with a spatula, just until no dry flour remains.
Add the fruit
Fold in the fruit with all its soaking wine and the cooled panela syrup until the batter is evenly dark.
Preheat the oven
Preheat a conventional oven to 150 °C with top and bottom heat, fan off.
Bake the cake
Bake the batter in a greased, parchment-lined round pan, 20 cm across and 8 cm deep, for 90–110 minutes. The center should feel firm and a skewer should show no raw batter, though a few moist crumbs are fine.
Cool the cake
Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then on a rack for about 2 hours until completely cold. Makes 12 slices.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
The panela syrup must be cold before it goes into the batter; cream the butter while it cools. Add the water to the caramel slowly to avoid splashes. Once cold, keep the cake well wrapped or airtight at 4 °C or below for up to 5 days from baking. Its flavor improves after 24 hours in the refrigerator. Freeze slices at −18 °C for up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator. Baking does not guarantee that all the wine alcohol disappears. Contains wheat, milk and egg.
Nutrition facts
1/12
- Protein
- 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 55.2 g
- Fat
- 15.4 g
Per 1 of 12 slices, without frosting. All wine is counted without subtracting alcohol that may evaporate; USDA red wine approximates sweet wine and brown sugar approximates panela. Wine and candied-fruit brands affect the values.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central / Standard Reference; EDEKA candied orange peel label
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
This Colombian Christmas fruitcake combines wine-soaked raisins, prunes and candied orange peel. Deeply caramelized panela gives it a dark color and rich flavor without chocolate; the crumb is dense and moist.
Frequently asked questions
What makes it dark?
Very dark panela caramel and soaked dried fruit. Chocolate is unnecessary; caramelize the panela without burning it black and bitter.
Can I serve it the day it is baked?
Yes, once cold. A 24-hour rest in the refrigerator helps the flavor and crumb settle; this rest counts within the 5-day storage period.
