How do you make traditional Jamaican black cake for a wedding?

Start by chopping the dried fruits and soaking them in rum, brandy or wine with spices for at least a few weeks, stirring occasionally. Some families soak the fruit for months, adding a little more alcohol each week to keep it fresh.

When you are ready to bake, beat butter and sugar until light, then add eggs one at a time. Fold in the fruit and its soaking liquid, along with flour, baking powder and a dark colouring if you want a deep shade. Pour the mixture into a lined tin and bake at a low temperature for several hours until a skewer comes out clean.

Once cooled, wrap the cake in muslin soaked in alcohol, then in foil and cling film. Store it in a cool place and feed it with a little rum every few weeks until the wedding day. Some bakers prefer to buy a base cake and flavour it themselves to save time.

If you are making this for a legal ceremony in England and Wales, remember that the cake is just food and does not affect the legal part of your day.