CHRISTMAS CAKE – PART 1

A traditional Christmas cake is a rich, decadent cake packed with fruits which have been soaked in rum/ brandy or any booze of your choice (soaking them in a non- alcoholic beverage is also an option. Read the questions/tips section to know more). There are many variations of this Christmas cake as each country has their own signature method of making this. This one is inspired by the way it is made in India.

Making a Christmas fruitcake at home is easy and a work of patience but is worth all the efforts. Christmas 2020 is definitely going to be different Christmas, so why not bake and share this cake (while maintaining the distance and with your masks) and spread joy and this festive cheer around. It is the season of sharing afterall. .??

This recipe is in 2 parts. You can find the next part here.

1) Soaking the fruits – which is done weeks / months ahead before the actual baking of the cake. The fruits are soaked in alcohol (of your choice) so that they absorb all the flavour.

2) Baking the cake – Baking the cake again week/ weeks ahead and feeding the cake.

Few questions and tips to help you start soaking the fruit

1)Why to soak the fruits in alcohol?

The traditional Christmas fruit cake is rich, dark, moist and full of flavour. When you soak the the fruits in the liquid (alcoholic/ non- alcoholic) they absorb the liquid and swell up. During baking, the liquid gets incorporated into the cake batter ,making the cake moist

2) Which is the best alcohol for the cake?

You can use dark  rum (Old Monk), whisky or brandy ( I have used Brandy). A reasonably strong, warm, and fiery flavour will compliment the taste of the cake, and help to preserve the cake.

3)What can I use instead of alcohol in a Christmas cake?

If you’re baking an alcohol-free Christmas cake you can use orange, cherry, cranberry or apple juice; something sweet to keep the moisture in the cake. To be honest, at times orange flavour can be over powering and some people may find that orange juice may impart a slightly bitter taste to the cake, in that case apple juice is recommended. I know few people who even soak the fruit in tea if you prefer a less sweet flavour. However if you are soaking the fruits with non alcoholic beverage ; soak them for 5- 10 days at the max. And keep the soaked fruits in the refrigerator until you bake the cake.

4) Which fruits can be used for the cake?

Black Raisins and sultanas, currants, Cranberries, Orange and Lemon peel – candied or plain, Dates – seedless, Dried Figs, Dried Apricot are used primarily. You can also use other dried fruits such as Prunes, Glazed cherries, Mango, Papaya, Apple, Pineapple , Blueberries, Plum etc. However adding fresh fruits is not recommended as they turn the cake soggy.

5) How long should I soak the fruits?

This fruit soaking process, traditionally is done months ahead. You can soak the fruits atleast three months ahead of Christmas and bake the cake five weeks before Christmas and mature it by feeding (Feeding the cake – Adding little liquid – alcohol/ non alcholohic beverage through tiny holes poked on the top of the cake) about once a week after baking, helps the cake remain moist. However if you are short of time you can soak for atleast 15- 20 days and bake the cake and then feed the cake. But if you are making this cake at the eleventh hour you can soak the fruits overnight, bake the cake and feed the cake atleast once before serving.

CHRISTMAS CAKE – PART 1

Recipe by Samrudhi Mahesh

The below mentioned quantities are sufficient for a 4 pound cake.

Ingredients

• 100 g raisins

• 150 g pitted dates

• 100 g dried apricots

• 100 g tutti frutti

• 100 g crystallised ginger

• 125 g mixed peels (orange / lemon peels)

• 180 ml dark rum/whiskey/brandy

Directions

• Chop dates, apricots, ginger, and orange peels into small chunks.
• Put the chopped dates, apricots, ginger, and orange peels along with the raisins, and the tutti frutti into an airtight glass jar. Avoid plastic and metal containers.
• Pour 180 ml of dark rum/ brandy/whiskey or a mixture of your choice into the jar over the fruits.
• Shut the jar and leave it in a cool, dark place until you are ready to bake the cake. Give the jar a mild shake every couple of days.

Notes

• Add any choice of nuts in any proportion ( you can mix and match as your preferences) but make sure that the total quantity of dried fruits is within the above mentioned range.
• Don’t overload on the citrus peel as the flavours can be very overpowering and make the cake bitter.
• If using non alcoholic beverage to soak the fruits, store the container in the fridge until you bake the cake. Alcohol soaked fruit can be kept at room temperature. Keep it in a dark place – preferably in cupboards/ pantry.

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