Christmas Cake (Fruit Cake)

Delicious – warm spicy cake loaded with fruits and nuts. Perfect for a holiday brunch!

Growing up I was never a fan of warm spice+sweet, its one of the combinations I started appreciating much later in adulthood. Just like Mawa cake, I started appreciating the classic Christmas cake only a few years ago.

This is the perfect cake to bake for a holiday brunch for two reasons, one –  its the perfect cake for a pre-dessert dessert to go with coffee or tea, and two – it makes your house smell Christmassy and divine! I actually made it for a Netflix and chill Saturday – PJ’s, hoodie, fluffy slippers, a bowl full of this warm delicious cake and a hot cup of coffee, as I watch some teenage-drama cheesy Christmas movies 🙂 not guilty, since I am on my much deserved end-of-the-year-staycation!

Normally these cakes are made with dry fruits that are soaked in rum or brandy weeks before Christmas. In some cases the cake itself is made a week or so before Christmas and then t is aged by brushing alcohol on it periodically. My recipe is quick and simple, and non-alcoholic. You can spray/ brush some light syrup mixed with Rum/ brandy/ orange liquor before serving, if you like. I like to make the non-alcoholic version so that it is kid-friendly and perfect to have through the day. But go ahead and spike it up with your favorite liquor for a dinner party with the 21+s 😛

So here’s the recipe:

You will need:

For fruit filling:

1/4 cup golden raisins – seedless

1/4 cup black currants – seedless

1 fresh orange – separated into chunks (peel and take only the soft sacs inside)

1/4 cup – tutti frutti – optional (I love tutti frutti!!)

8-10 dates – seedless, chopped

For the caramel sauce:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp water

For the cake:

3 eggs

1.5 cup flour

1.5 tsp baking powder (= 1/2 tbsp)

150 g salted butter – for stick/ cup conversion, I found this really helpful link

1/2 cup sugar

1 clove

2 cardamom pods

1/2 inch piece of cinnamon

1 small piece of nutmeg

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/3 cup chopped cashewnuts

1 orange pekoe tea bag

water

Procedure:

• Take 1 small orange or half of a large orange – remove skin and separate flesh to make fresh orange bits/ chunks – use about 1/2 heaped cup of chunks
• Take the orange chunks, raisins, currants, tutti-frutti and dates in a glass container with lid and set aside
• Boil 1/2 cup of water and add the orange pekoe teabag to it and let steep for a few seconds, till you get a deep red aromatic tea. do not oversteep.
• Pour the hot tea over the fruits and store with lid closed for at least 2 hourse, ideally about 4 hours

• In the meanwhile, make the caramel syrup and keep it for cooling.
  • measure and keep aside 2 tbsp of water
  • In a tall saucepan, take 1/4 cup of sugar and heat it on low flame and let it caramelize completely – till you get a clear sticky liquid.
  • At this point add the 2 tbsp water and stand back – this could splutter. Turn off the heat and mix the caramel and water to yield a beautiful brown caramel syrup

• Grind together the spices (1 clove, 2 cardamom seeds, a small piece of nutmeg and 1 inch piece of  cinnamon) and 1/2 cup of sugar – this will make your spiced powdered sugar, make sure all spices are finely ground. you will use all of this in the cake batter

• After 2-4 hours, when the fruits are nicely soaked and bulgy, we can start making the cake!
• Mix the chopped nuts and coat them lightly with some flour – this helps preventing them from sinking

• Preheat the oven to 356 F. Generously grease and dust with flour, a 10 cup bundt pan. You can also use a 9 inch square or round pan – in this case, use parchment paper to line the tin.
• In a bowl, beat together the spiced sugar and butter until light and creamy
• In this mixture add the eggs, one at a time beating on low speed
• Add the vailla extract and mix well
• Next add in the soaked fruits and mix on low speed
• finally add the caramel syrup and mix one last time on low speed – the mixture might get a little curdled due to the addition of citrus, but its not going to affect your cake!
• In a separate bowl mix together the flour and the baking powder
• Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 3-4 portions and fold in with a spatula
• Once the entire flour mixture is incorporated, fold in the nuts

• Pour the batter in the greased baking pan and stick it in the preheated oven at 180 C (356 F). the cake takes about 40-45 minutes to bake in the bundt pan.
• Adjust the baking time according to your oven and pan until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Recently my family has rebaptized this cake as “chai latte cake” I hate to agree but it does taste like it.. if you want to call it that just add a dash of fresh ginger in the batter or a 1/4 tsp of ginger powder!!

Here’s a close up of the beautiful golden crust this cake develops and its a pity that fragrances cannot be captured in photographs, because it smells just like how I want my house to smell all of December 🙂

you can add a glaze or syrup of your choice to make it moist and richer, but in my opinion its perfect as it is with some hot cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate on the side 🙂

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!