Christmas is around the corner and everybody is busy with baking cakes and cookies. As I have already prepared cookies so now is the time for my all-time favorite “Christmas Fruits cake/ Rum Fruit Cake/ Kerala Plum Cake”. The traditional way of preparing a Christmas cake is by soaking the dry fruits in rum for weeks/ months.
You can skip the soaking part and make it alcohol-free cake and make it instantly. This cake tastes best if baked few days ahead of eating.
Cake- 1 Loaf and 1 Cake
Ingredients:
For soaking
- 1 Cup chopped dates
- 1/4 Cup black raisins
- 1/2 Cup tutti frutti
- 1/4 Cup chopped apricots
- 1/2 Cup rum/ orange juice
For Caramel
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar/ any sugar
- 1/2 Cup water
Other ingredients
- 2 Cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 Cup butter
- 1 1/4 Cup sugar
- 5 eggs
-
1/2 Tsp baking soda
-
1 Tsp baking powder
-
1 Tsp ginger powder
-
1 Tsp cinnamon powder
-
1/2 Tsp cloves powder
-
1/2 Tsp nutmeg powder
-
1 Tsp cardamom powder
-
2 Tsp vanilla essence
Learn Step By Step Recipe With Pictures For Christmas Fruit Cake
Recipe:
Step 1- Take all the dry fruits in a bowl and add orange juice/ rum and soak. If using rum soak for 2days to 1 week or more and if using orange juice soak overnight
This is how soaked dry fruits will look like
Now add 2 tbsp of all purpose flour to it and toss well. Keep aside
Step 2- Now we will prepare caramel. Take sugar in a saucepan and heat it on medium flame. It will start to crystalize
Keep cooking until it melts properly. When you see reddish color take the pan off the flame
Add water. The syrup will crystalize and again keep heating until it melts again
Step 3- Meanwhile the syrup is melting prepare the batter. In a bowl take all purpose flour and add baking soda, baking powder, and all the spices and mix well. Keep aside
Step –In a large bowl add butter, sugar and vanilla essence and using an electric beater or hand beater beat it until it is well creamed. You can separate egg yolks if you want
Step 4- Start adding the egg to steps. First, add 2 eggs and beat well. Then again add the remaining 3 eggs and beat well using the beater
Meanwhile, the syrup is ready and has reached its perfect color. See the color, it is perfect. Turn off the flame
Step 5- Now add half of the flour mixture and mix well then add half of the caramel syrup again mix. Add the remaining flour mix beat well and add rest of the caramel and beat to make a fluffy batter
Add in the dry fruits and mix without making lumps
Step 6- Grease the baking pans. I have used bread loaf pan and a cake pan. Grease the pans and pour the batter
Preheat oven at 375ºF/180ºC and bake for 35-40mins. Remove and let it cool down completely and remove on a tray. Sprinkle some icing sugar powder
Wrap the cake in aluminum foil and store for later use. Enjoy your Christmas with this rich cake and make your family/ friends happy 😀 🙂 MERRY CHRISTMAS 🙂