How to Make Jamaican Sorrel Cake

To be honest, we decided on this recipe simply because we had a lot of dried sorrel left over after Christmas. We already had several bottles of the sweetened drink already in the refrigerator so didn’t want to make more. I had an aha moment and decided to use the sorrel to make a sorrel cake. So here, We are going to show you how to make Jamaican sorrel cake.

By the way, the dried sorrel can be stored in their original unopened package for years, or in an airtight container for several months.

With this recipe, you don’t have to be an expert baker. In fact, this Jamaican sorrel cake uses an all in one method so there is no creaming involved. Apart from the sorrel, all the other ingredients are regular, store cupboard ingredients. So this makes this an inexpensive cake to make too.

The hardest part of this cake is actually waiting for it to come out of the oven and be cooled. When it is though, you can start devouring it right away.

Ingredients for the sorrel cake

180g flour

100g sugar

100ml vegetable oil

50 g raisins

1 cup dried sorrel

1 cup hot water

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp red food colouring (optional)

How to make Jamaican sorrel cake

In order to soften and reconstitute the sorrel, soak it overnight in a cup of hot water from the kettle.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius and line a round baking tin or a loaf tin

Blend the sorrel mixture and dried fruits until it is a smooth puree.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and other dry ingredients. Mix well and then create a well in the centre.

Add the oil, eggs, sorrel & fruit puree and sugar to the bowl and mix well using a wooden spoon until it is well combined. If desired, add the red food colouring and mix.

Pour the mixture into the baking tin and place on the top shelf of the oven for 55 minutes to an hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Leave to completely cool on a wire rack before removing it from the tin

Serve your sorrel cake with a hot or cold drink and enjoy!

We found the colour really rich and interesting! It was almost like a red velvet cake (in colour) but the taste is tart, so be warned. I would personally also increase the amount of ginger as I think that would work really well.

The one thing I didn’t do with this cake that I think would enhance it, is to add a simple glaze to the top as soon as it came out of the oven. To make the glaze, just melt one tablespoon of jam with half of a tablespoon of unsalted butter.

I also found that, like gingerbread, this cake tastes better a day or two after it’s made. If (when) you do make it, do let us know what you think. You can leave your comments in the box below.

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