Christmas cake or the plum cake as we call it has been a tradition in the house for some years now. Having lived in UK for few years, I have always loved the Christmas season, right from waiting for the day the lights to be switched on in the city centre till the new year the whole country goes into the festive mood. I’ve learnt baking when I was living there and this one recipe I would love to bake every year and give to family and friends as a token of love and to end the year in a thanking note. I usually bake it in a big batch but you can reduce the ingredients accordingly and bake smaller cakes if you are trying for the first time.
Ingredients:
For soaking:
Dry fruit and mix – 1 Kg
Orange juice – 3-4 oranges squeezed
Rum – 500 ml
Water – half a cup
For cake:
All purpose flour/Maida – 675 gms
Butter – 600 gms
White Sugar – 400 gms
Brown Sugar – 200 gms
Eggs – 15
Cocoa Powder – 25 gms
Flavour – vanilla or Irish cream – 3 spoons
Baking powder – 3-4 spoons
Salt – a pinch
Step 1: Take a pan, add all the dry fruit and nuts mix, orange juice, rum and water. Stir until everything dissolves together, simmer for 30 mins and then switch it off. You can keep this soaked mixture as long as you want. I kept for a week but you can do it a day before or even 20 days before. I usually buy this dry fruit and nut mixture from Reliance (since its just near my home) but you can go for any fruit and nut mixture or create you own by chopping whatever nuts and fruits you need. This pack had cashew, almonds, walnuts, raisins, dates and figs. Make sure you chop the nuts coarsely and do not use it as whole since it will not have a good texture. Most of the recipes doesn’t use water but I feel adding a little water binds everything together but you can skip if you want. Baking is all about what works for you and not just following the recipe step by step.
Step 2:
Beat all the eggs together until it forms a nice foamy texture. I usually beat until the white foams are formed, that indicates the cake would be soft and spongy. If you are passionate about baking, I would recommend buying a good cake mixer, I use Black and Decker cake mixer which I got it from the US and love that. It beats in seconds and makes the work easier.
Step 2:
Add the Irish cream or vanilla essence and give it a good few seconds beating until it binds together. I like the fab brand essence which I got it from Viveka Essence Mart in Parrys corner, Chennai. Either I get baking stuff from the US whenever I visit or my go to shop in Chennai is Viveka Essence Mart and for imported stuff its Amma Naana in Alwarpet. Usually people use Vanilla but I feel this Irish cream gives a nice creamy flavour to the cake in addition to the Rum.
Step 3:
Add the butter and sugar and beat again until the sugar and butter dissolves. I used 2 part white sugar and 1 part brown sugar mainly for the colour. But you can use full white sugar also.
Step 4:
Add in the dry ingredients of flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Fold in the ingredients and beat it once so that it mixes together. Again most people say that you should fold in the dry ingredients but beating once after folding to mix everything works for me.
Step 5:
Add in the soaked fruit and nut mixture and fold until everything is set together.
Step 6:
Pour the mixed batter into cake moulds and bake in the preheated oven for around 20 – 30 mins at 225 degree (Time and heating varies from oven to oven, so use whatever works for you) Insert a fork and check if the cake is ready. if it doesn’t stick to the fork then you can take the cake out and cool.
Once cooled cut into loaves and serve.
Note – Cake measurements usually varies from one baker to another and each will have their own tried and tested method. I usually have this base cake measurement of 5 eggs, 225 gms flour, 200 gms sugar and butter. If you need to increase the measurement, then increase in that ratio. This has always worked for me. But if you have other measurements which works for you, please continue with that. Also I keep improvising the recipes when I find something which can make the dish better, I tried adding orange juice only this year and found it gave lot more flavour than just soaking it in rum. I have also read that you can dissolve sugar into caramel and then pour for the rich brown colour. I didn’t want to over experiment it, so trying to hold on it for now. Maybe I will try it the next time I bake the rum cake. Do try and let me know how the baking experience was. Happy Baking and Merry Christmas 🙂
Chennaivaasi 