flipEmily's Black Cake
Emily's Black Cake
Why this dish? Emily Dickinson's handwritten recipe for 'Black Cake' has come down to us in her own hand, in enormous quantities (pounds of raisins and currants, brandy): the cake for great occasions.
A very dense, dark fruitcake loaded with dried fruits macerated in brandy and spiced: it improves with age and keeps for weeks, sliced thin for the tea table.
Here is my Black Cake—the most solemn of my works, the one I write down in my own hand so it may not be forgotten. I weigh raisins and currants by whole pounds, I drown them in brandy for several days, and I grate mace and cinnamon until the batter turns black as ink. It bakes long and slowly, and it keeps better than a secret. Thin slices are cut for visitors—Eternity, you see, sometimes fits inside a cake.
- •Raisins and currants — pounds (fruity heart)
- •Brandy — a generous glass (maceration, preservation)
- •Butter and sugar — in good measure (richness)
- •Eggs — a dozen for large size (binder)
- •Wheat flour — as needed for batter (structure)
- •Mace, cinnamon, cloves — to taste (spices)
- •Candied lemon peel — a handful (flavor)
Emily's Black Cake
A very dense, dark fruitcake loaded with dried fruits macerated in brandy and spiced: it improves with age and keeps for weeks, sliced thin for the tea table.
Why this dish? Emily Dickinson's handwritten recipe for 'Black Cake' has come down to us in her own hand, in enormous quantities (pounds of raisins and currants, brandy): the cake for great occasions.
Here is my Black Cake—the most solemn of my works, the one I write down in my own hand so it may not be forgotten. I weigh raisins and currants by whole pounds, I drown them in brandy for several days, and I grate mace and cinnamon until the batter turns black as ink. It bakes long and slowly, and it keeps better than a secret. Thin slices are cut for visitors—Eternity, you see, sometimes fits inside a cake.
Ingredients (period version)
- Raisins and currants — pounds (fruity heart)
- Brandy — a generous glass (maceration, preservation)
- Butter and sugar — in good measure (richness)
- Eggs — a dozen for large size (binder)
- Wheat flour — as needed for batter (structure)
- Mace, cinnamon, cloves — to taste (spices)
- Candied lemon peel — a handful (flavor)
Ingredients
- Raisins — 250 g (fruit)
- Currants — 250 g (fruit)
- Brandy or dark rum — 100 ml (maceration)
- Softened butter — 150 g (richness)
- Brown sugar — 150 g (sugar)
- Eggs — 4 (binder)
- Flour — 200 g (structure)
- Ground mace, cinnamon, cloves — 1 tsp total (spices)
- Chopped candied lemon peel — 60 g (flavor)
Method
- The day before, macerate the raisins and currants in the brandy.
- Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one by one.
- Add the flour, spices, and then the macerated fruits with their liquid.
- Pour into a lined loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake at 150°C for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (until a skewer comes out clean); cover with paper if the top browns too much.
- Unmold when cold; ideally let it rest wrapped for a few days before slicing.
How it was made : These Anglo-West Indian 'black cakes' baked for hours in deep molds. The alcohol and density of fruit ensured preservation for weeks or even months—a cake prepared in advance for holidays.
The contemporary twist : Drizzle with a veil of white royal icing, echoing the white muslin dress Emily wore.
Sources : Handwritten 'Black Cake' recipe by Emily Dickinson (Houghton Library / Emily Dickinson Museum) · Emily Dickinson Museum — 'Recipes'
Emily Dickinson · Charactorium
