A Very Merry Christmas - Christmas Fruit Cake

This is not the first time that I am baking a fruit cake. I tried another recipe last year and was partially successful. I found this recipe in one of the food blogs that I regularly visit for its precise instructions. The ingredients that go into the fruit cake are many and to enjoy a hassle-free baking, ensure all the ingredients are measured and ready. It is better to complete some part in advance like caramel preparation, spice powder. 

So here it goes -

For the soaked fruits

• 3 cups of mixed dry fruits
• 1.5 cups of brandy/rum

For the caramel 

• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup warm water

 For the cake 

• 4 Cloves
• 1" Cinnamon
• 4 Cardamon
• A small piece of nutmeg
• 2 cups plain flour (maida)
• 250 gms unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp jam
• 2 tsp vanilla essence

Equipment

• A large bowl (Refer point 6)
• A medium sized bowl
• Handheld electric beater
• Spatula (silicon / wooden)

Soaking the Fruits. I soaked my fruits one week in advance. Last year, I soaked the fruits for almost 20 days. This year, I was not sure whether I would bake a fruit cake and the decision to bake was the last moment one. I used a mixture of dried black grapes, raisins, figs and zest of a large lemon. Make sure you buy grapes which are of seedless variety. I spent an entire hour de-seeding the dried black grapes - which could have been avoided. A word on the figs - I used them as I had plenty at home and no matter how fine you chop them, will have a crunchy bite because of the seeds. I chopped the dried fruits into small pieces before putting them into a wide-mouthed glass bottle. Measure and pour 1.5 cups of brandy/rum. I used Old Monk rum and refrigerate it. Occasionally, give the bottle a good shake.

Preparing the caramel. I prepared the caramel a day before. Place a thick bottom aluminum vessel on medium heat (I used a kadhai) and add the sugar. As instructed in the recipe, I added 1 tbsp of water to the sugar. However, I was continuously stirring the sugar, which I should not have done. Hence, the water completely evaporated and I was left with crystalized sugar. I left the crystalized sugar undisturbed on low heat and it started melting and darkening. Let it sit on low heat till it boils and acquires a blackish color. Initially, the color of the caramel is brown and as it boils, the color changes. Stir the caramel once in a while to prevent it from sticking into the vessel. Switch off the gas and slowly pour the water into the caramel. Be very careful at this stage, as the caramel will be hot and the water may splash on to your hands. Stir the caramel as your pour water. Give the water one final stir and switch on the gas and bring the caramel to a boil on low heat.  The recipe states that it is the color of the caramel that determines the color of the cake. I wanted my cake to have a dark color and let the caramel simmer/boil for 2-3 min. Switch off the gas and allow the caramel to cool completely before refrigerating it / pouring it into the cake batter. The caramel can be prepared a couple of days in advance.

Baking the cake

1. Powder the cloves, cardamon, cinnamon, and nutmeg pieces along with 2 tbsp sugar. I discarded the outer covering of the cardamon before powdering. Try to make it as fine as possible.
2. Butter the sides of a 9 inch round tin and a 9-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom of the cake tin with butter paper.
3. Keep the ingredients measured and ready for baking the cake. Ensure that the eggs, butter, caramel, soaked fruits are all brought down to room temperature before using them. 
4. Powder the sugar. 
5. Drain the soaked fruits and retain the liquor. I used a slotted spoon to separate the fruits. I then tossed the fruits with 2 tbsp flour to prevent the fruit from sinking into the bottom of the cake. Note for future - Toss the fruits in 4 tbsp flour. 
6. Separate the egg yolks and egg white and place the egg yolks in the main bowl. A word on the bowl used - make sure that you use a suitable bowl that can hold the batter and the fruits. I used a 1.5 liter Borosil mixing bowl which barely sufficed and I had to be extremely cautious while folding in the fruits. 
7. Place the egg whites in another bowl which is clean and without any trace of water.
8. Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder two times.
9. Beat the egg whites with the help of an electric beater till it forms a soft peak. It took me close to 3 min of beating on slow speed. The egg whites are frothy and when you lift the beater, it will form soft peaks (the peak will curl softly). Keep it aside.
10. Beat the egg yolks for 30 seconds. 
11. Add the unsalted butter and beat the mixture till forms a smooth paste (around a minute and few seconds on low speed). 
12. Add sugar in three batches, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula to ensure that the sugar is completely mixed with the batter. 
13. Once the sugar has been mixed, add the vanilla essence, powdered spices, and caramel and beat again till the mixture is incorporated (around a minute on low speed). The batter will be brown in color.
14. Add the sifted flour to the batter in 2-3 batches and ensure that it completely folds into the batter. Between each addition, religiously scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure that the flour is completely folded in. Beat the flour mixture for at least 30 -40 seconds after each addition on low to medium speed. 
15. Add the jam (I used strawberry) and beat for 10-20 seconds.
16. At this stage, I preheated my oven @ 180 degrees C. Place a wire rack on the turntable (I use a microwave oven with convection feature) and then pre-heat.
17. Fold in the egg whites into the batter in 2 batches and beat on low speed for 30-40 seconds after each addition. Ensure that there are no white streaks visible and the whites are completely incorporated. 
18. Then add 4 tbsp of the retained liquor and beat the batter for 10 sec on low speed.
19. Slowly, add the fruits into the batter in small batches. With the help of a silicone spatula slowly fold the fruits into the batter and take care to avoid any spillage. Use big cutting motion to fold in the fruits and to avoid deflating the cake.
20. Carefully, transfer the batter into the prepared tin. Ensure that you fill the batter not more than the 3/4 th mark. Gently bang the tin on the surface of the kitchen table or shake the tin, to ensure that the batter is evenly spread. Bake the cake @ 180 degrees C on the pre-heated oven for 50 min. 
21. To check whether the cake is done, insert a toothpick into the cake and if it comes out clean then the cake is ready. I checked the cake for doneness 35 min into the baking time. At the end of the 50th minute, the toothpick came out clean and I took the tin and the rack out of the oven.



Storing the cake. Let the cake cool for sometime in the tin itself. When the tins become easy to handle, run a knife around the edges of the cake tin. Slowly and gently, invert the cake into the wire rack. Peel off the butter paper and allow the cake to cool completely. Transfer the cake into an airtight container or wrap it in aluminum foil. I kept the cake at room temperature for 4 days before using it. 

A word on the baking - I baked my cake in two ovens simultaneously. You can bake one cake at a time. Bake one tin and then place the other tin and start baking (No need to pre-heat the oven), but ensure that the oven door is not kept open for a long time. This will lead to a change in oven temperature. If you have kept the door open for a longer duration, it would be advisable to pre-heat the oven once again.

The cake tasted delicious just like a store brought-cake. Will definitely bake this one again!!!