Colombian Black Cake (Torta Negra)
Torta negra is the Colombian celebration cake: prunes, raisins and figs macerated four days in sweet wine and rum, then blended into a spiced butter cake and darkened with molasses. It is what gets served at weddings, christenings and Christmas. There is no chocolate in it, the colour comes from the molasses and the dried fruit. Serves six.
Servings: 6
Calories: 842kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup seedless prunes prunes, not fresh plums
- 1 cup raisins
- ¾ cup sweet wine a sweet red or a moscatel; a dry wine makes a harsher cake
- ¼ cup rum dark rum
- 1 cup figs in syrup (brevas caladas), drained and chopped sold in jars in Latin groceries; candied or dried figs also work
- ½ lb butter, softened 2 sticks / 225 g
- ½ lb sugar about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 225 g
- 6 eggs at room temperature, or they will split the batter
- ½ lb all-purpose flour about 1¾ cups / 225 g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons molasses or burnt sugar syrup this is what makes it black; the Caribbean calls it browning
Instructions
- Four days before you bake, put the raisins, prunes and figs in a container with half the wine and half the rum. Cover and leave at room temperature, giving it a shake when you remember. Keep the other half of the wine and rum for the end.
- On the day, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease the cake pan with oil and dust it with flour.
- Blend the macerated fruit, along with the liquid it soaked in, to a coarse paste. It does not need to be smooth; a little texture is good.
- Mix the dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
- Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes. Then add the vanilla, and the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is absorbed before adding the next. Adding them all at once splits the mixture.
- Lower the mixer speed and add the dry ingredients gradually. Add the blended fruit, and finally the molasses. Mix only until it comes together, beating it now makes the cake tough.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Start testing at 40 minutes: a toothpick pushed into the middle should come out clean. Ovens vary, so trust the toothpick over the clock.
- Take it out and let it sit for about 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan.
- While it is still warm, brush it with the rum and wine you held back. Wrap it in plastic and leave it until you are ready to slice or decorate.
Notes
Wrapped well, the cake keeps for weeks and improves for the first few of them: the fruit and the alcohol go on settling into the crumb. Brush it with a little more rum and wine every few days if you want it moister and boozier, which is how it is done for a wedding. It is normally iced with royal icing or fondant for celebrations, and eaten plain at home.
Nutrition
Calories: 842kcal | Carbohydrates: 115g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 245mg | Sodium: 379mg | Potassium: 686mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 1465IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 4mg