West Indian Black Cake

At Christmas time in Jamaica, a traditional black cake is baked in which the dried fruits and peel have been soaking in alcohol since the previous Christmas. It's a far more intense cake than traditional fruit cake, and covered in a dark, dark frosting.

Denevol Samuels is faithful to the tradition, filling his grandmother's recipe for West Indian Black Cake with fruits that have wallowed for twelve months in cognac, wine, and white Jamaican rum. The cake is iced with blackened caramel or, if you prefer, a traditional white royal icing. Order at least two days in advance, from Tropical Desserts 82 Q St SW, 202 488 4647.

To bake your own Black Cake, buy the Jamaican burnt sugar you'll need for the icing from Caribbean Market at 7505 New Hampshire Ave, Langley Park, 301 439 5288. Nigella Lawson offers a recipe in "How To Be A Domestic Goddess."

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