• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Andrea's Dainty Kitchen
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Fruity

    Jamaican Fruit Cake (6 Inch Recipe)

    Published: December 12, 2022 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read the disclosures and disclaimers page for details.

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    This recipe makes a 6-inch rich Jamaican fruit cake that is perfect for Christmas, Easter or any other special occasion.

    Slice of cake on plate

    What’s is Jamaican Fruit Cake?

    Jamaican fruit cake is a boozy rich cake that contains mixed fruit, red wine and rum. This cake is usually served around Easter or Christmas and is sometimes covered with marzipan and fondant. It is also commonly made into weddings cakes for Caribbean weddings. 

    For this Jamaican fruit cake recipe, the fruit is soaked in the red wine and rum then blended to a purée so you end up with a smoother fruit cake with no whole pieces of fruit. The spices are what give the main flavours of this cake with the rum and port adding even more flavour.

    Why Bake a 6 Inch Cake?

    Every year I bake a Jamaican fruit cake for Christmas and I usually make an 8- inch or 9-inch cake. Recently, I decided to try out a 6-inch fruit cake because we never get through large cakes over Christmas. Fruit cake does last a while but when the new year arrives, I would prefer not to have too much cake laying around to tempt me. Making a 6-inch cake is perfect as it is just enough for my family and any guests that may visit over the Christmas period. 6-inch cakes are also perfect for gifting.

    Slice of Jamaican fruit cake

    Soaking the Fruit

    Before any baking is done, I soak the fruit in dark rum and ruby port for 5 – 7 days. This helps to soften and plump the fruit. It also produces a rich flavoured cake.

    Feeding the Cake

    Once this fruit cake is baked, you can feed it to mature the flavours though this is optional. You can feed the cake once a week to every fortnight with brandy, rum, whiskey or amaretto. Feeding the cake keeps it moist and gives the cake extra flavour. You can feed it up to 4 times but I usually feed it around 3 times. Do not overfeed your cake as it will make it wet and stodgy.

    Ingredients for Jamaican Fruit Cake

    Please find the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of the post. 

    Soaking Fruit

    • Dried fruit – for this Jamaican fruit cake recipe, I use a combination of dried mixed fruit which includes sultanas, currants, raisins, orange peel and lemon peel. Additionally, I also add dried cranberries and glace cherries.
    • Rum – I use dark rum but you can use any rum or you can use brandy.
    • Ruby port – or any sweet red wine.

    For the Cake

    • Flour – for this Jamaican fruit cake recipe, I use self-raising flour.
    • Ground almond – gives the cake a nutty flavour.
    • Bicarbonate soda – works with the self-raising flour to help the cakes rise.
    • Salt – I use fine sea salt.
    • Spices – use ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon and mixed spices for this Jamaican fruit cake recipe.
    • Eggs – use medium room temperature eggs.
    • Black treacle – or molasses.
    • Evaporated milk – also known as unsweetened condensed milk.
    • Vanilla – use good quality vanilla extract or bean paste.
    • Lemon juice – squeezed from a fresh lemon.
    • Butter – use unsalted butter soft at room temperature.
    • Sugar – I use dark brown sugar for a richer flavour.

    How to Make Jamaican Fruit Cake

    Soaking the Fruit

    1. Add the dried mixed fruit, glace cherries and dried cranberries to a medium sized jar or bowl then pour in the dark rum and ruby port. Cover with a lid or clingfilm and allow to soak for 5 – 6 days.

    Soaking fruit

    Make the Cake

    2. Preheat the oven to gas mark 1/275oF/140oC/120oC fan and line a 6-inch/15cm round cake tin with parchment paper. Ensure the tin is at least 3 inches deep. Set the tin aside.

    3. Add the soaked dried fruit with the alcohol to a blender and blend for a few seconds to slightly break down the fruit. You don’t want it fully pureed as you want small pieces of fruit. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

    Pureed fruit

    4. To a medium sized bowl, add the self-raising flour, ground almonds, bicarbonate soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and mixed spices. Mix them together and set aside.

    5. To another bowl, add and combine the eggs, black treacle, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice and whisk until smooth and the black treacle has dissolved then also set aside.

    6. To a mixing bowl, add the butter and dark brown sugar then cream until paler in colour and fluffy. Gradually add the egg mixture, mixing between each addition then gradually add the dry ingredients, also mixing between each addition. Gently fold in the blended fruit ensuring you don’t over mix.

    Bake the Cake

    7. Transfer the cake mixture to the lined tin then bake in the centre part of the oven for 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes. After 3 hours 15 minutes, check the cake using a cake tester or skewer and if the cake is not ready, return it to the oven and check every 5 minutes until the tester comes out clean.

    8. Place the cake tin on a wire rack to cool. After 30 minutes, carefully remove the cake from the tin and allow to completely cool on the wire rack. Once completely cooled, give the cake the first feed by spooning over 3 tablespoon of rum or brandy. Wrap the cake in cling film and store in a tin until you're ready to eat or feed again.

    Whole cake and dried fruit

    Recipe Tips 

    • For this recipe, ensure your 6 inch baking tin is at least 3 inches deep.
    • Feeding this cake at least once is recommended. The flavour and texture of this cake improves with time.

    Nutrition

    Based on 1 serving - Calories: 311kcal | Fat: 12.6g | Saturates: 6.1g | Carbs: 35.0g | Sugar: 26.2g | Fibre: 1.4g | Protein: 4.3g | Salt: 0.32g.

    Storage

    Wrap this Jamaican Christmas fruit cake in clingfilm and store in a tin at room temperature. The cake can last around 6 weeks after the last feeding.

    If freezing the cake, ensure you finish the feeding process first then wrap the cake in clingfilm and store in the freezer. Fruit cake can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. It can last longer but I usually only go up to 6 months.

    Recipes You May Like!

    • Fruit and Nut Oat Bars
    • Easy Fruit and Nut Rocky Road Bars
    • Super Moist Mango Coconut Cake
    • Double Chocolate Cake (6 Inch)
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Jamaican Fruit Cake (6 Inch Recipe)

    This recipe makes a 6-inch rich fruit cake that is perfect for Christmas, Easter or any other special occasion.
    Prep Time30 minutes mins
    Cook Time3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Total Time3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Yield: 12 servings
    Calories: 311kcal

    Ingredients

    Soaking Fruit

    • 190g mixed fruit
    • 30g dried cranberries
    • 30g glace cherries
    • 135ml dark rum
    • 100ml ruby port or any sweet red wine

    Cake

    • 135g self-raising flour
    • 50g ground almond
    • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¾ teaspoon mixed spice
    • 3 medium eggs room temperature
    • 2 tablespoon black treacle
    • 2 tablespoon evaporated milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 125g unsalted butter soft at room temperature
    • 125g dark brown sugar

    Instructions

    • Soak the Fruit: Add the dried mixed fruit, glace cherries and dried cranberries to a medium sized jar or bowl then pour in the dark rum and ruby port. Cover with a lid or clingfilm and allow to soak for 5 – 6 days.
    • Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to gas mark 1/275oF/140oC/120oC fan and line a 6-inch/15cm round cake tin with parchment paper. Ensure the tin is at least 3 inches deep. Set the tin aside.
    • Add the soaked dried fruit with the alcohol to a blender and blend for a few seconds to slightly break down the fruit. You don’t want it fully pureed as you want small pieces of fruit. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    • To a medium sized bowl, add the self-raising flour, ground almonds, bicarbonate soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and mixed spices. Mix them together and set aside.
    • To another bowl, add and combine the eggs, black treacle, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice and whisk until smooth and the black treacle has dissolved then also set aside.
    • To a mixing bowl, add the butter and dark brown sugar then cream until paler in colour and fluffy. Gradually add the egg mixture, mixing between each addition then gradually add the dry ingredients, also mixing between each addition. Gently fold in the blended fruit ensuring you don’t over mix.
    • Bake the Cake: Transfer the cake mixture to the lined tin then bake in the centre part of the oven for 3 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes. After 3 hours 15 minutes, check the cake using a cake tester or skewer and if the cake is not ready, return it to the oven and check every 5 minutes until the tester comes out clean.
    • Place the cake tin on a wire rack to cool. After 30 minutes, carefully remove the cake from the tin and allow to completely cool on the wire rack. Once completely cooled, give the cake the first feed by spooning over 3 tablespoon of rum or brandy. Wrap the cake in cling film and store in a tin until you're ready to eat or feed again.

    More Fruity

    • Strawberry White Chocolate Blondies
    • Carrot Banana Muffins
    • Orange Loaf Cake  
    • Spiced Braised Red Cabbage

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Victoria says

      June 11, 2023 at 7:59 am

      Hello Andrea, your recipe for the rich fruit cake sounds perfect as is, but will it turn out the same if I don't blitz the fruit? I like to see the fruit & also I like the texture. Thanks for posting.🌻

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        June 12, 2023 at 8:33 am

        Hi Victoria,
        Thank you for your comment. I am not 100% sure it will turn out the same as I have not tried it without blending the fruit. Please let me know the results if you do give it a try 🙂

        Reply
    2. Luna Harris says

      December 04, 2023 at 12:02 pm

      Lovely cake and I love that you blend the fruit as I don’t like large bits of fruit in my fruit cake. It is a long process but so worth it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        December 04, 2023 at 12:18 pm

        For you for posting so glad you like the recipe.

        Reply
    3. Andrew says

      November 13, 2024 at 11:58 pm

      I have a 6’’ square tin. Can you tell me how to adjust the ingredients and baking time please.

      Can I find your 8’’ round tin recipe online ?

      Thank you Andrea.

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        November 14, 2024 at 1:03 pm

        Hi Andrew, you can make this recipe in a 6 inch square tin but the cake will be slightly shorter in height.

        Add another 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time. Test with a wooden skewer by inserting it into the middle of the cake. The wooden skewer should come out dry when the cake is done.

        Reply
        • Andrew says

          November 14, 2024 at 9:51 pm

          Hi Andrea,
          Thank you for the reply. I’m looking forward to baking this cake. I’ve been advised to multiply the ingredients by 6 then times them by 7 (which I have done) to make this in a 6’’ square tin am I’m going up 1 tin size.

          I’ve noted the increased baking time ! Thank you so much.
          Andrew

          Reply
          • Andrea says

            November 15, 2024 at 12:48 pm

            You’re welcome. Glad you found a solution. Hope you enjoy.

            Reply
      • Andrea says

        November 14, 2024 at 1:24 pm

        Sorry I haven't developed this recipe for an 8 inch tin yet.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Comment and Rate Recipe




    Primary Sidebar

    Meet Andrea!

    Hi I’m Andrea and I am the writer and food photographer behind Andrea’s Dainty Kitchen. I share a selection of recipes and provide step by step instructions to help readers get the best results from their time in the kitchen.

    Read More!

    Popular Recipes

    • Orange Loaf Cake  
    • Deli sandwich
      Deli Style Pastrami Sandwich
    • Mango traybake cake with mango glaze
      Super Moist Mango Coconut Cake
    • Caramel Tart
      Simple Caramel Tart 
    • Seabass fillets -pan fried
      Lightly Dusted Pan-Fried Sea Bass Fillets
    • Cornflakes Squares
      Chocolate Cornflake Squares (No Bake)
    • Pepparkakor Swedish Ginger Thins
      Ginger Thin Biscuits
    • Crispy Sweet Chilli Chicken with Noodles
      Crispy Sweet Chilli Chicken with Noodles

    Footer


    Privacy & Terms

    Privacy Policy

    Terms of Use

    Disclosures and Disclaimers


    Learn More

    About

    Contact

    Newsletter


    Socials

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram

    Copyright© 2025 Andrea's Dainty Kitchen