Black Currant Cake

This is a cake to choose when you’re looking for something out of the ordinary. It is not the quickest, I admit, but the results are worthwhile. The black currants give the filling a rich dark purple color and impart a distinctive tangy flavor not found in any other fruit.

Black currants are quite rare in the United States; when people speak of currants, they are usually referring to the dried Zante grape. In fact, over the years, a few of my students who were unfamiliar with fresh