Plum Cake | Christmas Recipe | Christmas Cake

Christmas is never complete without a Plum Cake. From childhood I used to love plum cake for their super mosit texture and loads of dry fruit and nuts in them. Although I have found a liking to the Indianised version of plum cake of using only rum essence and not real rum. This plum cake is also more of an Indian version of Christmas cake without using any booze and I call it last minute Christmas cake since it does not call for the traditional method of soaking dry fruits and nuts in rum for over a month or two. For more Christmas Recipes, check out my Christmas Menu HERE

Verdict ~ Cake is super moist and not too much over-powering in spices. Its not too heavy and has a little hit of rum (from rum essence). We both enjoyed it so much and plan to make one more to give away to friends

Ingredients

For Caramel 

Sugar – 1/2 cup 

Water - 1/4 cup (room temperature)

Cooking fruits & nuts

Dry fruits - 1 cup (raisins, sultanas, dates, figs)

Candied Orange/Lemon Peel – 1/4 cup, sliced thin

Unsalted Cashew – 1 cup, chopped

Orange juice – 3 tbsp

Unsalted Butter – 2 sticks (8 oz) at room temperature

Sugar granulated (white) – 1 cup

Eggs – 3 large 

Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp

All-Purpose Flour – 1 1/4 cup

Baking Powder – 1 tsp

Spices - 1/2 tsp each (nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, dry ginger)

Method

• In a pan on medium heat, add 1/2 cup sugar, let it melt gradually until it turns golden brown give a quick swirl. It would take 3-4 minutes to melt completely, let it further darken for 20-30 secs and switch off the stove. Add the 1/4 cup water and now the caramel would harden, slowly heat and cook for 6-8 minutes until completely melted. The caramel would be dark similar to pepsi/coke. Set aside and completely cool down 
• In another pan on medium heat add the orange juice/ rum and cook for 2 minutes and add the dry fruits, orange peels and cook for 3 minutes mix well and add the chopped nuts and cook for another minute. Set aside and cool down
• In a bowl sift flour, salt, spice powders and baking powder, set aside
• Pre-eat oven to 350F / 180C and line an 8" pan with parchment paper make sure that the sides are lined with 4" height, this helps in not burning the cake
• In a mixing bowl beat butter until smooth, add 1 cup sugar gradually and beat until soft and fluffy.
• Add one egg at a time and beat for 2 minutes after every addition. Add the vanilla and rum extract and beat for another minute
• Slowly add flour and caramel alternately and beat well after every addition until everything is used up
• Add the dry fruits and nuts and mix well until well combined
• Tip the cake pan with the batter and bake in center of oven for 50-55 mins start checking the cake from 45 mins. Check with a skewer inserted in center and comes clean
• Once done let in cool with pan for 10 mins then release the cake onto the cooling rack until it is completely cooled down

Dust with icing sugar and cut to serve.

Cooks Wisdom

- This is a non-alcoholic cake, to make an alcoholic version use 1/4 cup rum to cook the dry fruits and nuts instead of orange juice

- Alternatively apple juice can also be used

- I have used rum extract, if you are not able to get it don't worry simply use only vanilla extract

- Caramelizing sugar is very important make sure you don't burn it, else cake will turn bitter

- Orange peels enhances flavor of this cake so make sure you use them

- The amount of flour may vary on the size of pan that you are using.

- The cake takes time to cook in the center so don't panic simply wait and keep checking