Christmas recipe: Plum Cake

Ingredients:

Soak in rum or brandy

Raisins or sultana 200 gms

Red cherries 100 gms

Tutty fruity 100 gms

Ginger chips 50 gms

Candied orange peal 50 gms

Dates 100 gms

Powder the following

Cinnamon gms

Nutmeg 2 gms

Cardamom 2 gms

For the black jack

Sugar 150 gms

Hot water 50 ml

For the cake

Sugar Powdered 500 gms

Butter- cooking 500 gms

Eggs 10 gms

Baking powder gms

Flour- Maida 500 gms

Essence-vanilla 2 caps

Cashew 100 gms

Milk 50 ml
    
                
Procedure:

 
1. Soak the dried fruits in brandy or rum. Soaking could be done from 3 days to 3 months before hand. Store covered in a cool place or refrigerator till you are ready to bake.
2. For the blackjack heat the sugar in a thick bottom pan until it caramelizes to the dark color you prefer. You need to be careful to ensure the sugar does not burn. Add hot water and boil it until sugar dissolves. This should give you thick dark syrup to give that rich color to the cake.
3. Powder the spices, sieve along with maida and baking powder.
4. Mix together the powdered sugar and the butter (room temperature). Start to beat with a hand whisk.
5. When it starts to get fluffy slowly add the eggs one by one.
6. Keep whisking and scrape the sides until all the eggs are added.
7. Add the essence and milk. Mix together the fruits and the flour.
8. Add the flour mix to the butter mix. Fold together very gently. When it is almost mixed add the blackjack as required mix completely. Over mixing the cake mix will make the cake hard.
9. Line the desired cake tins with butter and dusting of flour, pour the cake batter into them. Now arrange the cashew nuts on top. 
10. Pre-heat the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes before baking.
11. Bake for around 35 minutes or till the cake is baked well.
12. Before removing from oven insert a tooth pick or stick to see if it comes dry – just to confirm it is well baked.
13. Cool the cake completely before storing them. Decorate the plum cake with royal icing or your choice of Christmas garnishes.

(The recipe has been shared by Chef Abhishek Basu, Executive Chef, The Park, New Delhi)