Easy Venezuelan Black Cake Recipe

One of the most famous Christmas cakes in the world is the easy and delicious Venezuelan black cake, a hallmark of the holiday season. Originally from the United Kingdom, many versions are known in different countries. It is said that this magnificent dessert arose out of necessity, since the sailors had to eat food that was easy to preserve, store and transport.

In Venezuela there is a version of Christmas black cake, very typical of foreigners. Our black cake for Christmas is very similar to English pudding in terms of ingredients: walnuts, hazelnuts and polished fruits. The different touch of the Venezuelan version is the substitution of sugar for brown sugar or papelón (piloncillo) and brandy for rum (typical Caribbean drink). In addition, the exquisite touch of Venezuelan chocolate is added, a very aromatic product with a delicate flavor. Known around the world for being top quality.

On these dates, allow the exotic aroma of the Venezuelan black Christmas cake to permeate your home and surprise your guests with its magnificent flavor.

Ingredients to make easy Venezuelan black cake:

For the black cake:

1. 250 grams of butter
2. 450 grams of sugar (white or brown)
3. 550 grams of wheat flour
4. 2 teaspoons of baking powder
5. 1 dessert spoon vanilla
6. 6 eggs
7. ½ cup of milk (120 milliliters)
8. 200 grams of chocolate bars
9. 1 dessert spoon of almond essence
10. 700 grams of macerated fruits
11. 1 pinch of salt
12. 1 pinch of cinnamon

For the macerated fruits:

1. 100 grams of confit fruits
2. 100 grams of candied oranges
3. 100 grams of red cherries
4. 100 grams of black raisins
5. 50 grams of blonde raisins or sultanas (optional)
6. 50 grams of prunes
7. 100 grams of dried apricots (mixture of apples, peaches and pears)
8. 50 grams of walnuts
9. 50 grams of almonds
10. 1 bottle of sweet liquor
11. 1 bottle of dry liquor

For decoration:

1. 2 dried apricots
2. 4 almonds

How to make easy Venezuelan black cake:

• Order your work table with all the ingredients and elements necessary for the maceration of the fruits for the black cake.
• Cut all fruits finely. Peel and crush the almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts.
• Deposit inside a large jar, all the ingredients that you processed. Then, add the dry liquor and the sweet liquor, in equal parts. The mixture of liquors must completely cover the chopped fruits. Close the bottle very well and keep in a dark place. The mashing time is up to you, but the longer the better.

Trick: The minimum maceration time is one day. The best time to macerate is after a month. It is valid to use wine instead of liquor. But always one dry and the other sweet. In this recipe I used canelita as sweet liquor and rum as dry liquor.

• Now organize the work space to prepare this divine simple black Christmas cake. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before using them. Place all the measured ingredients. The butter must be warm.

Trick: Optional: you can reserve part of the liquid from the macerated fruits to later use it to decorate the cake.

• Mix the sugar with the butter until you get a creamy mixture. The sugar must be perfectly integrated into the butter until it dissolves.
• Separate the whites from the yolks. Reserve both.
• Add the egg yolks to the butter cream and sugar. Mix until fully integrated.
• Add the flour little by little to the preparation.

Tip: From this step on, never stop stirring.

• Alternate the flour with the milk, then the flour again and so slowly
• Cut the chocolate into small pieces. Then, melt in a bain-marie
• Add the chocolate to the mixture. Stir constantly.

Trick: As an extra you can add cocoa powder, 100 grams.

• Add the vanilla, the essence of the almonds, the cinnamon and the baking powder. Stir well.

Trick: Optional: you can add the zest of the rind of a green lemon. This flavors the dough a lot.

• Add the macerated fruits and stir until they are completely integrated with the rest of the ingredients.

Trick: It is advisable to pass the macerated fruits through a little flour before placing them in the mixture, but it is not essential.

• Use the egg whites that you previously reserved and beat them in a bowl until they reach the point of snow. When peaks form, add the pinch of salt. Then add them to the mass of the black Christmas cake. Stir with gently enveloping movements until a homogeneous mass is achieved
• Pour the preparation into a previously greased and floured pan. Give the mold a few slight taps on the bottom to avoid bubbles and also so the mixture is matched. Bake at a temperature of 180 ºC (although this may vary, because no home oven is the same as another). Place the Christmas cake in the center of the oven and wait approximately 45 minutes. After this time, check if the cake is ready with the classic toothpick test. If the toothpick comes out dry, the cake is ready, otherwise you must wait and continue checking from time to time.

Trick: Do not open the oven before completing 35-40 minutes.

• Finally, time to decorate! We are all excited about this part of culinary creation. The presentation is always very important, because the food usually “enters through the eyes”. So…to the mess! Unmold the black Christmas cake and place on top of a large dish or plate. If you reserved part of the liquid from the macerated fruits, pour it on top of the cake. Prepare in a bowl, the icing sugar, the water and the essence of almonds. Then, cover the Venezuelan Christmas cake with the glaze obtained.
• A classic of Venezuelan Christmas, inspired by the universally known English pudding. Unique in its style, due to its ingredients adapted to the national gastronomy, your table will be a success.
• The touch of Venezuelan chocolate (with a high percentage of cocoa), paper and rum, give a touch of exotic notes to this masterful dessert. This cake is the most significant among the Christmas desserts, as it represents the spirit of the December dates.
• This Christmas you cannot miss this exquisite easy-to-make Venezuelan black cake. Flavored with a mix of ingredients from “here and there”. Its tasty texture and aroma will captivate all your guests.
• I invite you to spend a warm Christmas trying bite and bite of this fascinating Venezuelan dessert. Captivating from start to finish: very aromatic, very defined flavor and a smooth but consistent texture. Hmm!