Black Cake

Two estranged siblings must set aside their differences to deal with their mother's death and her hidden past – a journey of discovery that takes them from the Caribbean to London to California and ends with her famous black cake.

Black Cake is an American family drama limited series created for Hulu. Two estranged siblings, Eleanor and James, are pulled back together when their mother dies and leaves behind a hidden past they never knew. Their search for the truth carries them through the Caribbean, London and California as they trace clues and peel back layers of old secrets, while their own resentments flare and soften along the way. The story moves between the present-day investigation and flashbacks that thread the mother's youth into the present, building a lattice of memory, grief and buried loyalties across several decades. Told as a single self-contained season, the series has a wistful, emotionally rich tone, with moments of tension and sorrow balanced by warmth and a deep sense of cultural rootedness. Its meditation on heritage, identity and the cost of silence gives it the intimacy of a family-secret drama and the slow unspooling of a mystery. Strong language, alcohol use and depictions of abuse appear throughout. It suits viewers who enjoy character-driven stories about family, memory and the places people carry inside them.

Critics and viewers broadly praise the emotional family story, the globe-spanning mystery of a mother's hidden past, and the lead performances, while noting it can feel slow in places.

• This Is Usfamily secrets unearthed after a parent's death, siblings reconciling through a hidden past
• Big Little Liesmulti-generational family saga with buried history and emotional reckoning
• Successionestranged family reunited by inheritance and a hidden past, bittersweet family drama

Created by

Marissa Jo Cerar

Release Date

2023-11-01

Episode runtime

58 min

Rating

7.4 / 10 (53)

What is Black Cake about?

Two estranged siblings reunite after their mother's death and uncover her hidden past across the Caribbean, London and California.

What is Black Cake like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Cake as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Black Cake violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Black Cake as mild.

What did critics think of Black Cake?

Critics and viewers broadly praise the emotional family story, the globe-spanning mystery of a mother's hidden past, and the lead performances, while noting it can feel slow in places.

Which shows are like Black Cake?

Shows with a similar feel include This Is Us, Big Little Lies, and Succession.

How long is Black Cake?

Black Cake: 1 season, 8 episodes.

Is Black Cake still running?

No, Black Cake was canceled.

Where can I watch Black Cake?

In United States, Black Cake streams on Hulu.