Christmas is
around the corner and I can feel the festive vibes in the air. Christmas means not just about Santa or Christmas trees. This is all about celebrating the festival having good times with nears and dears. Christmas cakes are an integral part of this festival
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Though I bake several cakes throughout the year but this time of the year I opted for the traditional fruitcakes.
I decided to bake 2 cakes this Christmas. One was non-alcoholic and for this one, I soaked all the dried fruits and berries overnight in fresh orange juice. The other cake was a traditional rum-infused fruitcake. For this cake, I soaked all the dried fruits, plums and berries in rum almost 3 weeks before the baking was done. I made this cake for our family get together where all the members were grown-ups and each n everyone relished this divine cake
This moist, rich and dense cake was packed with layers of flavours. Rum infused dried fruits and berries and a pleasant aroma of spices had made this cake the favourite of all.
| Christmas Cake |
Preparation time – 35 minutes
Baking time – 100 minutes at 150â
Servings – 12-15
Author – Bharti Dhawan
Author – Bharti Dhawan
INGREDIENTES – :
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For Baking:
1- All-purpose flour – 225 gms.
2- Softened butter – 200 gms.
3- Brown sugar – 150 gms
4- Zest of 1 orange or 1 Tsp
5- Baking powder – 1 and 1/2 tsp
6- Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
7- Eggs – 3 large
8- Orange juice – 1/2 cup
Ingredients For Soaking:
Dates/khajoor – 10-12 nos. (You can also soak them overnight in 1/4th Cup of water)
Mixed candied and dry fruits (dried cherries, raisins, plums, apricots, almond and cashew nuts) -500 gms.
Ground spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger and green cardamom – 1/2 teaspoon each)
Cinnamon sticks – 2 nos
Rum – 150 ml
Pre Baking steps -:
*Take out whole spices from the soaked dried fruits and coat them with 2 tbsp flour. This will help them not to sink at the bottom of the cake
* Blend deseeded and soaked dates/khajoor to make a fine purée
* Blend deseeded and soaked dates/khajoor to make a fine purée
* Preheat the oven to 150 â for 10 minutes.
* Sift flour with baking powder, Â soda and ground spices 3 times and keep aside
* Line the cake mould with butter papers.1 at the bottom and strips to adjust along the sides of the mould.
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| coat dried fruits with flour |
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| sift flour with baking powder and spices |
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| line the mould with butter paper |
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| blend dates to make the puree |
METHOD-:
1-Â Whisk butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy with a hand whisk or electric beater.
2- Add 1egg at a time and whisk well. Scrape the batter From the sides of the bowl so that all the batter is mixed evenly
3- Add flour coated dried fruits, ground spices, date/khajoor purée, zest and mix gentlyAdd sifted flour little at a time and fold gently, not to over mix
4- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 100 minutes at 150â
5- Let it remain in the oven for 5 minutes at rest. Take it out and let it cool completely
6- Now unmould it and keep on a wire rack to cool it down completely
Merry Christmas guys!
Happy Baking!!
The recipe is step by step here with pics
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Whisk butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy with a hand whisk or electric beater
Add 1egg at a time and whisk well. Scrape the batter From the sides of the bowl so that all the batter is mixed evenlyAdd flour coated dried fruits, ground spices, date/khajoor purée, zest and mix gently
Add sifted flour little at a time and fold gently, not to over mix
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 100 minutes at 150â
Let it remain in the oven for 5 minutes at rest. Take it out and let it cool completely
Now unmould it and keep on a wire rack to cool it down completely
Wishing Everyone A Merry Christmas!
Happy Baking!!
