It’s That Time Of The Year Again To Bake Christmas Plum Cakes, Significance + Recipe

A Christmas celebration without desserts is incomplete. This has been evident since medieval times, hence, a traditional Christmas dessert namely, Plum Cake originated to prepare the body of Christmas fest.

It’s That Time Of The Year Again so here's a complete guide to make the iconic Christmas Plum Cake. Elevate your celebrations by sharing each bite of Christmas Plum Cake with family and friends.

Christmas Plum Cakes

Ingredients

For Dry Fruits Soaking ( Soak At Least For 1 -7 Days Refrigerated)--

• 1/2 Cup | 60gms Dried Cranberries
• 1/2 Cup | 75gms Black Raisins
• 1/4 Cup | 40gms Golden Raisins/Sultanas
• Mixed Dry Fruits ( I used 2 Dried Kiwis, 3 Prunes, 1 Apricot, 6 cherries, 1 Tbsp Dried Blueberries, 1 Candied Ginger)
• 1/2 Tsp Freshly grated Orange Zest
• 1 Cup Homemade Grape Juice (should immerse the fruits)

Caramel Syrup--

• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Water
• 1/2 Cup Hot Boiling Water
• Lemon juice 1 Tsp

For The Cake Batter--

• 2 Cups | 240gm All Purpose Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1 TSP Cinnamon Powder
• 1/2th TSP Each of DRY GINGER, CARDAMOM, NUTMEG, CLOVE POWDER
• Unsalted Butter 3/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp | 200 gms, room temp
• DARK Muscovado /Brown Sugar 1 Cup | 200gm
• 4 Eggs, at Room Temperature
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
• Caramel syrup
• Grape Juice 3-4 Tbsp
• 2 Cups Soaked Dry Fruits
• 3/4 Cup chopped Nuts (I used 1/2 Cup Cashews and 1/4 Cup Almonds)

Instructions

• Prepare an 8-inch round pan ahead for baking, grease with oil and place a parchment paper. Prepare an aluminium cover as well (to be placed after 60 minutes of baking on top of the tin to prevent burnt top due to the caramel syrup).
• Sift together the Flour, Baking powder, Soda, Salt and spices. Sifting the dry ingredients helps to have a finer softer crumb.
• Sieve the pre-soaked dry fruits to get the juice out of them and reserve this juice to brush and add to the cake later.
• If the dry fruits were refrigerated then allow them to come to room temperature before adding to the cake batter. I soaked them for almost a week and refrigerated them. I gave them a mix every two days.
• Dry roast the cashews and almonds, then chop them into small bits. Cutting them small gives a good mouthfeel when you bite into each slice. You can add any other dried fruits like walnuts or pistachios etc.
• Mix the Nuts with the sieved-soaked dry fruits. Add 2-3 Tbsp of the dry ingredients to prevent them from sinking to the cake bottom during baking.

To Prepare The Caramel Syrup--

• Heat Sugar and Water on LOW Flame till the sugar caramelizes and turns into a beautiful amber colour. Do not let it burn though. Keep tilting the pan to mix the sugar evenly, do not use a spoon.
• Once the colour changes to dark golden, switch off the flame and immediately pour hot water from the sides bit by bit slowly. Be careful of hot splashes. Switch on flame and add lemon juice to prevent further crystallization.
• Let the syrup cook for 9-10mins on LOW flame till it gets a bit thick. Do not let it become too thick though. Let it cool down a bit before adding to the cake batter. If it becomes too hard, then add some hot water and heat it again.

To Prepare The Cake Batter--

• Beat the butter till smooth for a few seconds. Ensure the butter is at room temperature only. Add Dark Muscovado Sugar and mix with a spatula to remove any lumps. Then Beat with the beater till well incorporated.
• You can use Brown sugar or white sugar instead but dark muscovado sugar gives a darker tint and a lovely intense flavor to the sponge.
• Add the Eggs one at a time mixing each egg till well incorporated.
• Add Vanilla Essence and the Caramel Syrup.
• Fold the Dry Ingredients into the batter in three batches gently without knocking the air out from the eggs.
• Add the Grape Juice and mix.
• Fold the dry fruits at the end.
• Transfer the cake batter to the tin and level it out with a flat spatula or the back of a spoon. Decorate with dry fruits or nuts at the top if you wish.
• BAKE@180C for 75-80 MINS or till a toothpick inserted comes clean. Cover the top Lightly with an Aluminium Foil after 60 minutes of Baking to prevent the top from getting burnt. I used a Round Baking Tin of 8inchs. Baking Time may vary depending on the Oven or the Tin used. The weight of the Cake was 1.37 kg
• Once the cake is baked and still hot, poke a few holes with a toothpick and pour 1-2 Tbsp of the leftover Rum all over the cake. Allow the cake to cool down completely.
• Demould the cake and wrap it in a parchment paper first, then wrap it tight with a Cling Wrap. Lastly, Wrap it with an Aluminum foil and keep it stored in an airtight container either at room temperature or refrigerated. This way of packing helps prevent the cake from going dry and preserve its moistness.
• If room temperature, a plum cake will stay good only for a few days while if refrigerated for up to 10-12 days. If kept in the freezer, for up to 3 months. Plum cakes made with rum however last up to a year.
• Feed the Cake again with grape juice the next day and allow it to absorb for some time before serving it.

(Recipe credit: theartisticcook.com)

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