What would Christmas be without black cake? It's a tradition throughout the Caribbean which dates back to the middle of the 17th century when English settlers brought over a tradition of the 'English pudding.' Over time that was radically modified by African slaves and their descendants who evolved it into a rich rum cake, a potent mix of finely ground raisins, cherries and nuts which have been steeped for months in over proof rum. Sure, everyone has got their own black cake preference: some like it soaking wet, others like it brittle and nutty. But no matter how you take your black cake, in 1999 Dawn Sampson caught up with one woman who had a sure fire recipe to please every palette. Tonight we reprise that story.
Dawn Sampson Reporting,
Come Christmas time each year Belizeans look forward to the smell and taste of that old rum soaked fruit filled black cake whether it means buying it off the shelf or sampling just a slice while a guest at someone's house receiving it as a gift or baking it yourself black cake is a must in December.
Elda Blades,
"Without black fruit cake there wouldn't be any Christmas because from small this was the tradition in my home we must have black cake black fruit cake so it's a part of me."
She knows exactly what black cake means to Christmas as she's been baking the Christmas tradition for over 30 years to the point that she can mix up 25 pounds of batter without using measuring utensils.
Elda Blades,
"After 30 years you get the feel and everything."
Everything from knowing how long to soak the rich fruits to knowing just when is the right moment to take the cake out of the oven. She's mastered it all and averages about 45 cakes per day. She starts Christmas baking about 3 weeks before d-day. She mixes up the fundamental ingredients of butter, sugar, flour, blackening, honey, molasses, nutmeg, and several spices including cloves and cinnamon. While she's got all the basics down, Blades has her own way of doing certain things that makes her cake unique from others.
Elda Blades,
"In preparing my fruits, I make my fruits more to a jam consistency instead of this lot of hard fruits. Normally I would put a little bit of the imported fruit in it because normally people would say they don't find fruit because my fruit goes into moisture to keep the cake soft. So I just put maybe in this whole amount about 5 pounds of the ordinary fruit just for people to get a little bit of that."
There is also the use of a 30-year-old scale that although beaten up has sentimental value, which is all part of making Blades' great tasting black cake.
Elda Blades,
"I kept this scale because it belonged to a friend of mine. I gave it to her for Christmas about 30 years ago and she said that I was going to use this scale more than her and about 4 years later she died. I got back the scale and I have been using it to weigh cake ever since. It has gone through a lot: it got burnt on the stove and all sort of things happened to it but I still kept it."
And then there is that secret ingredient.
Elda Blades,
"My secret covering on top, there is a special thing that I do on top of it to glaze it so that it has a nice lovely color and keeping it moist."
Dawn Sampson,
Which of course you're not going to tell me?
Elda Blades
"No. The only person I told that is my daughter because I have been working on recipe and I always said if I had a daughter, this will be her legacy."
But even if your black cake isn't as rich, black, fruity, nutty, or as sought after as Blades' is, it seems the importance of a black cake is not in how it tastes, looks, or sells but what matters is its significance. It means Christmas and a Belizean Christmas.
Though that story was done in 1999, Ms. Blades still makes and sells cakes.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited for the internet by Keith Swift
