Tuesday 18 December 2012

Kerala Plum Cake ( Christmas Fruit Cake)

I remember I used to love christmas cakes, the one we got from Kerala Bakeries and the one mom always made for christmas.
But to be honest now I am not a huge fan of Christmas fruit cakes. And that goes to the rest of my bunch.
Hans and Shyama would much prefer if I make a traditional christmas log cake with all the cream and butter etc....
But I on the other hand always get nostalgic during this time to make one and I end up making them.
Plus point is I take the cake to my inlaws place to be shared.
Ok I know it is early for the cake as christmas is not there yet, but as traditionally on christmas day we go to my inlaws place and MIL buys from the pastry shop a christmas log, so as I am nostalgic every year for making the fruit cake , I make them ahead which I did this sunday and took to their place for coffee.
I used the same recipe which I use every year, but this time I added different dry fruits and  nuts and i played around with the spices as Hans din't like 5 spice powder.
My mil said the decoration looked like a beautiful lace :-)
 








 
 
 

Dry fruits 450 gm ( I added raisins,prunes,apricot,crystalized ginger,cherries,walnuts,almonds) all cut in small pieces.
Rum 16tbsp
Mix the above ingridients and keep in a sterilized bottle for at least a week.

Butter 160 gm
Vanilla essence 1 tbsp
Sugar 240 gm ( I added 180 gm)
Eggs 160 gm
Flour 240 gm
Baking powder 1 tsp
Soda bicarbonate 1 tsp
Cardamom 1/4 tsp
Ginger powder 1/4 tsp
Cloves 1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp All spice powder
1/4 tsp cinamon powder
1/4 tsp salt
Caramel 40 gm
1 tbsp molases.
The decoration is not a must you can serve the cake just without it.
But I love decorating the cake.
So what I did was dcovered the cake with shop bought marzipan for covering the cake.
Made a paste of powder sugar, egg whites and red color for drawing the red lines etc... plus added some red color to a bit of marzpaan but oir flowers for the decoration.
You just have to go with your liking how you want you cake to be decorated.
 
Method.
Preaheat the oven to 150°c.
Grease and baseline a 20 cm springform tin fitted with a flat base.

Cream the butter , sugar, vanilla till they are fluffy. Add then eggs one by one and beat each time.
Now to this mix add the flour, baking powder, soda bi carbonnate, and all the spice powder and then carmel water and molases. Don't beat the mixture too much just fold in till everything is mixed well.
Now to this mixture add the rum soaked fruits and fold gently.
Bake for 1 hr and 30 minutes or till the cake is baked.

I keep the cake for atleast a week before i decorate with marzipan . The taste seems to get better if you keep them for maturing for at least a week, If you have more time do that.
 
 
For the Caramel
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp water plus 1/4 cup water.
Add the sugar and 1 tbsp water in a metal pan. In a low fire melt this mix carfully making sure it doesn't burn,
Don't stir with a spoon just swril the pan when it melts and when it reaches the caramel color you want, take the pan off from the fire and take it to the zink and then pour the 1/4 cup of water and mix everything well.
Only use the carmel in the cake when it is fully cool.
Take care when you make the caramel as you can easily burn yourself with the melting sugar.

 

 

31 comments:

A Cuban In London said...

Wow, that looks yummy. I remember baking a similar cake with the members of my German Club a year ago for Weihnachten. Many thanks. I enjoyed the whole process.

Greetings from London.

Bombay-Bruxelles said...

I am like you! I do not like Christmas fruit cakes either... but your decoration has made it beautiful :-)

Unknown said...

Beautiful cake :) laeve the nuts and fruits... i love the icing and the flowers, like your mil said its like a beautiful lace

Divya Kudua said...

No Christmas is complete without a Fruit Cake and I absolutely love the ones we get back home,in Kerala.Rich,dark and moist with the goodness of fruits and nuts in every bite,I'd rate those as my most favorite!Been making Fruit cakes since last few years and every single time I am awed that I'm able to create a masterpiece at home.Your cake looks stunning and agree with your MIL,looks like a lace strewn around the cake!!

Merry Christmas to you!

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

This must be the most gorgeous Kerala Plum Cake ever. Its beautiful.

Priya Suresh said...

I'll go mad if i saw a fruit cake, love it so much, unfortunately we dont live near by else i'll have happily your whole cake.

Hasna said...

Tht luk gorgeous

Cham said...

I bake every year and share with my friends. This one looks gorgeous with the flower decoration :)

Gloria Baker said...

Dear finla this cake look brautiful dear:)

sra said...

I can live on Christmas cake. I actually did that one season, ate up all the fruit inside the cake and discarded the rest - it didn't make me healthy and I put on weight!

Your cake looks beautiful!

Gloria Baker said...

Love this cake Finla look georgeous alwayd I find yours treats are besutiful dear:)
Happy Christmas!

Manju @ Manjus Eating Delights said...

wow looks gorgeous!! I also recently made this fruit cake for the first time. Do check it out when u find time :-)

Poornima Nair said...

Beautiful cake Finla, love the rich color and the decoration!

Jayashree said...

I absolutely love the plum cakes in Kerala, Finla.....feel that nothing can match up to that taste. The icing looks so delicate and beautiful.

Cakelaw said...

Your cake does look like beautiful lace. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Angie's Recipes said...

What a stunning cake!

Angie's Recipes said...

Those red lines are made with sugar icing?

Mandira said...

The cake looks so delish Finla, am going to try it this year!

Finla said...

Sra wowo so much cake i want to do that too :-)
Angie yeah the red lines a re done with power sugar mixed with eggwhites.

Hamaree Rasoi said...

I can't imagine my Christmas Cake without rum ;-) Your's is looking so dense and perfect Finla...

Indu said...

I so love the frosting on this cake. It looks very pretty!

Lawyer Loves Lunch said...

Love the European tradition of fruit cakes and the decoration on this one is simply stunning! Happy holidays :)

Anonymous said...

This looks delicious! Can you estimate the number of eggs you use?

Finla said...

Congnitiveleeks almost 3 large eggs.

Jaya M said...

Gorgeous cake with such pretty decorations and I too agree with your MIL - such pretty lace decorations.actually never seen such pretty Christmas cake..made two Christmas cake today and this I have to as Christmas without fruit cake is incomplete..Wish you and yours a very happy Christmas...hugs and smiles

Gopika Ram said...

I just bought the plum cake from a store today.. Looking at yours inspires me.. Love that beautiful design on it..

Unknown said...

This looks so amazing!!! I love the intricate decorations!

Namitha said...

I cannot think of a X'mas without Kerala plum cake ;) Love it. I love that you added caramel, got to try it next time. Love your decoration too. I am usually too lazy to do that, I just serve it after dusting some powdered sugar :)Hope you, H and S had a wonderful X'mas

Ola said...

amazing decoration!really good job!
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team ecoSycle said...

What a lovely post. Beautiful, pictures. You’ve really captured what Kerala cake is all about. I have to say, I’ve never tried this cake before but I’m going to try it this season. Thanks for sharing.

Srivalli said...

Cake looks stunning Finla, love those flowers..so much patience...