"Is the black cake I love, is the fruit cake I want, you are the master baker, and I'm the fruit cake lover."
The lyrics of Sugar Aloes' classic Christmas tune Black Cake Lover capture the sentiments of Marva Adams-Miller's customer base, a group she has seen about double since she was featured in an article by The New York Times.
The Trinidad-born, Brooklyn-based baker was the first of five Caribbean bakers featured in the article, The Best Black Cake, a West Indian Delight, Starts at Home, published on November 27. Written by Ramin Ganeshram it focused on the seasonal dessert staple and highlighted an "elite group baking Caribbean black cake in late fall."
Also featured in the article were a Guyanese baker, two Jamaican bakers and Trinidad-born, Toronto-based Rhoma Akosua Spencer, better known back home for her work as a comedian, actress, director and playwright.
“There’s only one or two of us that I know of who make black cake in my area so it’s important that I continue,” Spencer is quoted in the article.
Adams-Miller has been selling her black cake in Brooklyn for more than two decades. She told Newsday in a WhatsApp interview the business had its roots when she was a girl growing up in Laventille.
"Laventille of yesteryear is not the one of today. Back in the day, you could walk the street, and nobody bothered you. You could walk late, come home late. The crime rate was not as bad as it is now."
She recalled fun days with good friends and good family and going to school and church in the community.
Her father worked for years in Port of Spain as a head baker at Coelho Bakery, which was a rival to Kiss Baking Company before Kiss acquired them in 1989. He also baked a lot at home and taught his children as well.
"I always loved the kitchen, being around him, seeing him do stuff."
Adams-Miller recalled she was amazed to see the liquid batter go into the stove and come out as a "condensed" item.
"It was an infatuation for me. It was like magic."
Growing up she loved eating black cake though she and her siblings were only allowed a small taste because of the alcohol content. Her father also made a lighter, fruit sponge version which they were allowed to have in larger quantities.
At about age 11, she tried to make a black cake based on observing her father but it "got messed up." She was not deterred, however, and then in 1985 at age 15 she pressed her father to teach her his black cake recipe and he agreed.
"He showed me the ingredients, wine and the rum. The rum cured the black cake, and it could last forever if not eaten. It was my first time actually baking a proper black cake."
Her first cake came out a little too hard as she put too much flour.
"It was looking so moist that I kept adding flour."
But Adams-Miller improved her skills and would bake cakes for church functions and would soak the cake with Malta to get the moistness without the alcohol. She also learned cooking from her stepfather and began catering and baking while working at Royal Bank at about age 20.
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