Kerala Special Christmas Fruit cake – Ingredients and Preparation
Do you want to celebrate the Christmas with delicious food? Kerala Special Christmas Fruit cake is best and perfect food item for Christmas. Here I have explained required ingredients and preparation method for Christmas Fruit cake.
In Kerala, they celebrate the Christmas tremendously always. During that time they buy lots of cake. That's why Christmas Fruit Cake is most famous. We all like to make a cake ourselves. Some people prepare a cake in their home for festivals especially Christmas. But we don't know that how to make a cake. Here I have given very easy method to make a fruit cake.Ingredients for preparing Christmas Fruit cake
For Soaking
• Mixed fruits – 3 cups
• Rum/Brandy – 1.5 cups (I used dark rum)
For Caramel
• Sugar – ½ cup
• Water – 1 tbsp
• Warm water – ¼ cup
For Cake
• Plain flour (maida) – 2 cups
• Baking powder – 1¼ tsp
• Baking soda – ½ tsp
• Sugar – 1 cup+ 2 tbsp
• Unsalted Butter – 250 gms (1 cup + 2 tbsp, approx) @ room temp
• Eggs – 4 @ room temp
• Vanilla essence – 2 tsp
• Jam – 1 tbsp (I used apricot)
For Spice Powder
• Cloves – 2
• Cardamom – 2
• Cinnamon – a small piece
• Nutmeg – a small piecePreparation Methods of Christmas Fruit cake
Step 1:
Drenching of Fruits. Grind sultanas, seedless raisins, currants & candied orange & lemon peel to a fine liquid.
Step 2:
Here, I didn't cut the fruits and used it as such. You can take a choice of dry fruits.
Step 3:
If you want to add dates/apricots etc; cut it into little pieces and marinate it. You should soak it for a minimum of 1 week, at least. You can shake the jar of soaked fruits.
Step 4:
Caramel Preparation: Mix ½ cup of sugar and 1 tbsp water in a sauce pan. The sugar melts while heating. Heat it till the melted sugar turns dark brown color then remove the pan from fire and now include ½ cup hot water to this. At this stage, you need to be very cautious still the water tends to splash and can cause burns. Once again heat and boil it for about 3-4 minutes. After turn off the fire and allow it to cool for some time. You can prepare the caramel in advance and keep it in refrigerator.
Step 5:
Spice Powder: Crush all the spices with a pinch of sugar, to a fine powder and keep aside.
Step 6:
Cake Preparation: Before baking, Once again heat the oven at 180 C for 10-15 minutes.
Step 7:
Drain the soaked fruits & keep aside. Keep 4 tbsp from the drained liquor. Pitch the drained fruits in 1-2 tbsp of flour. Separate the plain flour with baking powder & baking soda. Powder the sugar & keep aside. Split the yolks & white of the eggs. Beat egg whites and yolks then add the softened butter to it. If it gets a smooth paste stop the beat. Include powdered sugar to this, gradually. Beat after each addition. If it is becomes soft and vanilla essence and then cooled caramel & spice powder & beat once again. Add 2 batches of the sifted flour. Each and every time beat when you adding. Add jam & combine.
Step 8:
Fold in the beaten egg whites in 2 parts & combine till no white streaks are visible. Fold in the soaked fruits & 4 tbsp of retained liquor. Once again heat an oven for 40-45 minutes. The baking time should be rely on an oven.
Step 9:
Alcohol free version: Marinate 3 cups of fruits with 1.5 cups of fresh orange juice.
Step 10:
Leave it overnight at room temperature.
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