Last Updated on January 13, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Caribbean Spice Cake – This basic cake full of spices is perfect for tea time. America has Pound cake and the Caribbean has Spice Cake.
This is my Mom’s recipe and I tell you it was no easy task to get it!
For years, people have been asking my Mom for a recipe for her cake and her answer always is, “I don’t know. Just watch me when I bake it.” As if you can duplicate what she does when she says things like, “You know you have added enough milk when it looks right.” FINALLY, I cornered her down and forced her to measure as she went along and now have her recipe for eternity. It wasn’t easy and took a lot of arguing back and forth with me stopping her before every ingredient she added so I could measure it.
This is why for most family recipes I just ask her what’s in it and then I develop the recipe myself because this is a stressful endeavor for us both. She gets frustrated with me stopping her and I get annoyed as she knew the plan at the beginning so why is she screaming at me!!!
It is an all purpose Caribbean spice cake. We usually only frost or ice cakes for big events like weddings, so it is meant to be eaten as is, straight out of the oven. This cake is a slightly dense cake but super soft and fluffy, that is perfect with tea or a glass of milk. It’s not one of those fall apart in your hand cakes – it has body. Haitians, like my dad, like to eat it, dunking it in a glass of liqueur, along the lines of Grand Marnier. Besides, adding frosting both adds additional unnecessary sugar and the sugar will overpower the amazing flavor of the spices and rum.I guarantee you, once you make this cake, it will be often requested.
This is perfect to serve for Mother’s Day. Bake it in a square pan and cut in small squares and it will be the star of your Mother’s Day Brunch.
This recipe makes 2 cakes, as my Dad and I shared the same birthday so there were always two birthday cakes at our house.
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| blowing out candles on my 6th birthday |
Before we get to today’s recipe, let’s check out some other Caribbean treats!
Caribbean Recipes
- Coconut Drops (Coconut Lime Cookies)
- Sweet Bread
- Coconut Roll
- Coconut Bread Pudding
- Bojo (Cassava Cake)
- Cornmeal Pudding
- Jamaican Easter Bun
- Pain Patate (Sweet Potato Pudding)
IN THE MAKING
Soft and fluffy cake and my favorite part is the crusty edges!
Caribbean Spice Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond essence
- 3 tablespoons rum
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 2 cake pans with non stick spray.
- Sift flours and baking powder with spices and salt. Add raisins and mix thoroughly. Tossing the raisins with the dry ingredients ensures that the fruit does not sink to the bottom.
- Combine milks, vanilla, almond essence and rum and whisk to combine in a bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and regular sugar until very creamy. Add brown sugar and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well and making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next one.
- Add half the flour combination and mix until combined. Add half the milk combination and mix until combined.
- Add the remaining flour and mix and then the remaining milk. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes before removing from cake pans.
- Cool completely before slicing.
That's so wonderful…will surely try out the eggless version sometime..your picture looks good..:)
Looks Delicious!!!!
Cake looks yummy.
Vardhini
Event: Sinful Delights
Event: Stuffed Paratha
first time in your space….wow…so many flavors going in the cake….I just loved it ….bookmarking it 🙂 I'm ur new follower now…do visit my space in your free time 🙂
Both sounds interesting,definitely a fabulous cake..
Lovely cake!
i loved both, they are as natural as they can get, with a power house of flavor
Both cakes look good. Being a vegetarian, I will surely try out your eggless version…
Lovely recipe! It must be a cherished recipe if you have been eating this every birthday. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome looking cake.. Thanks for sharing this cherished recipe.
Must be delicious with so many ingredients, I like the spices you have used! Well done, it is on my to do list
I’m sure you will love it
I love any type of spice cake and cookies, so I’m looking forward to giving yours a try!
I’m sure you will love it. I cant wait for you to try it either 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious, and the doors are on point. I might have to make this some time soon!!
I am assuming you meant flavors instead of doors – and yes the flavors are awesome!
This is really so great to try
Thanks – I am sure you will love the flavors in it
Hahaha, my mom was the same way!! She never measured anything, so I can never get any of her good recipes! So nice of her to measure it out for you. This cake looks so good!!
The cake is so good it’s about the only thing that’s worth the torture of the experience of forcing her to measure
Awe love the pic of your 6th birthday!! So sweet! and love the pics of the process of making the cake!!
thank you – yes this is a cake with such memories attached
I know how it is when you have a recipe you just throw the ingredients in till it looks right. It’s frustrating to measure. Lol this looks great I’m surprised by the wheat flour in a cake
I can do no measure cooking with savory food but not baking. My Mom being a nurse always fed us whole grain foods I never tasted white bread til I went to college so I’m not sure in most versions that’s used but in hers it is
Looks delicious and easy to make. Definitely trying this recipe. Thanks for this.
sure – Let me know how you like the cake when you make it!
I love mom recipes! This looks great!
yes I think too many family recipes are getting lost.
It’s so lovely that you have recreated your mother’s recipe and now have it on paper for future reference.The cake sounds delicious.
yes I am so glad I got this recorded. Thanks