Jamaican Christmas Pudding is a spiced black fruit cake made with a combination of raisins, cherries, prunes, and other fruits. It also has another delightful ingredient, a touch of world famous Jamaican rum, while others use wine.

Some people also like to top it off with a creamy white brandy or rum butter sauce. While traditionally it’s a cake for Christmas, it is also paired with a white fondant for traditional wedding cakes as well. This classic holiday dessert has endless variations, and everyone claims their own unique family recipe is the best one.

Most recipes will state that soaking the dried fruits in wine and/or rum for up to a year before baking will yield the most delicious results.

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups Flour

• 8 oz. Butter

• 8 oz. Sugar

• 4 Eggs

• 1 lb. Raisins

• 1 tsp. Cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. Mixed Spice (or equal parts ground allspice and nutmeg)

• 1/2 tsp. Salt

• 4 oz. Mixed Peel

• 4 oz. Cherries

• 1/2 lb. Prunes, chopped

• 1 cup Port Wine or Brandy

• 1 tsp. Baking Powder

• 1 tsp. Vanilla

• Finely grated rind of 1 Lime or Lemon

• 2 tbsp. Browning

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F and grease a 9″ round cake pan.

Use a mixer to cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and browning until soft and fluffy.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, salt and baking powder together.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and the wine or brandy together. (Add a splash of white rum if you feel adventurous too)

Add the egg mixture to the creamed butter and sugar.

Stir in the raisins, mixed peel, cherries, prunes, and the lime or lemon rind. (You have the option to puree this mixture of dried fruits in a blender before adding for a more moist cake.)

Gently fold in the flour mixture just until mixed.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Allow to cool and then serve. 

For Rum Butter Sauce

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup(s) icing sugar

• 3 ounce(s) Butter or Margarine

• 2 tablespoon(s) white rum

Instructions: 

Sift icing sugar in a bowl

Add Butter or Margarine and mix together with icing sugar.

Mix in the rum.

Place mixture into a piping bag with a rose tip.

Pipe rosettes on waxed paper and chill in a refrigerator.

For Butter Brandy Sauce

Ingredeitns: 

• ¼ cup butter or soft margarine

• 1 cup icing sugar

• 3 Tbs. brandy

Instructions: 

Cream together butter or margarine and icing sugar until light and creamy, then beat in brandy. Chill well and serve with cake.

Cooking Tip:

Serve with Christmas Pudding, or your favourite dessert and decorate with red maraschino cherries and mint leaves.

For more quintessential Jamaican food recipes, visit our food recipe page

Also read our FREE magazine & newspaper to find out everything you need to know about Jamaica!!

Stay Connected with Jamaica Experiences
Instagram: @JamaicaExperiences
Facebook: @JamaicaExperiences
Twitter: @JamExperiences