Grandma’s
Kitchen!
L
ike many of the islands of the
Caribbean, Barbados is heavily
reliant on grandparents in the
rearing and growth of a child in the
family. Many of us have fond memories
of grandparents who gave great advice
(at times in the form of a parable or Bajan
saying), were quick to “share licks”bat
any sign of bad behavior, provided warm
nestling arms in times of trouble and
were notorious for cooking up a storm.
I’d watch my Granny move about in the
kitchen to prepare dinners, snacks and
lunches, and the dynamic duo of mummy
and granny would whip up Christmas
feasts that would be the envy of top
chefs in restaurants around the island.
Granny’s Black Cake
Ingredients
6lbs mixed dried fruits
(raisins,currants, prunes, candied
cherries)
½ lb mixed citrus peel
1 cup sweet red wine
½ cup rum
½ cup falernum
1 bottle Guinness stout (Optional)
2 lbs brown sugar
1½ tbsp mixed spice (cinnamon,
clove, nutmeg etc)
1 lb unsalted butter
12 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1¼ flour
1 lb almonds grounded
1 tsp salt
Browning
One of the things they liked to
make was Bajan Black cake. This
decadent Rum soaked cake also
known as Rum Cake or Great Cake is
an island favourite. For many Bajans this
cake is a Christmas tradition, but it is
also quite commonly the cake of choice
for Barbadian weddings as well. It bears
some similarities to the British Plum
Pudding, but has the Caribbean flair and
favour, with one of the main ingredients
being- rum!
Fruits, such as cherries, raisins, and a bit
of orange rind, are mixed, then left to
soak in Bajan Rum for a minimum of two
to three weeks. This gives the cake an
especially strong, rum-infused, distinctive
flavour,
and
when finished bak