Christmas Cake

Last year I finally baked my very first Christmas cake! 😋😃 All thanks to Aarathy, my friend, who is also my baking teacher and inspiration. She bakes this every year for Christmas. This cake is based on this recipe, with some modifications. I've also added some tips from all my trials and errors, and from my friend Philomena who bakes tonnes of cakes every Christmas. It is actually quite simple, don't be fooled by the number of steps. The only thing you have to be really careful about is the caramel. 

Note: Ideally you should keep this cake for a week at least, covered in foil, for the taste to mature. So plan accordingly. :) 

Step 1: Soaking dry fruits

Some people keep this for 2 days, but the longer you keep, the better. Some keep it for months - I did, for 6 months - and once for 1.5 years. :) You can use rum, brandy, or whiskey. 

Utensil: Tall glass bottle

Soak the following in a glass bottle in brandy/rum/whiskey. Keep it tightly closed, and shake the jar everyday. Some people also add figs and other fruits, this list is completely your choice - don't add things that could get sticky. You will find a lot of mixes online.

1. Caramelized orange peel, chop into small pieces
2. Caramelized cherries, chop into small pieces
3. Candied ginger, chop into small pieces
4. Seedless raisins - add different varieties
5. Crushed vanilla pods, a few 
6. Black currants
7. Star Anise

Step 2: Baking

Utensils

1. Any oven. Note that convection ovens may not give you a crispy dark brown outer layer, but will cook evenly. 
2. It is worth investing in measuring cups and measuring spoons. For half cup, one-fourth spoon etc, the whole set. You get really pretty colourful plastic and ceramic ones these days. Am sure you get them online too. 
3. A big fairly deep pan. This cake rises a bit, so needs some depth. 
4. A sieve for the maida and spices
5. Big glass mixing bowl
6. A small deep bowl to beat 5 eggs
7. Egg beater. I prefer the one in the shape of a spring, like this. 
8. A pan to caramelize sugar
9. Baking paper if you can get. Also called parchment paper. If not, you can just butter the pan and add some maida and shake it off
10. Electric beater. This makes it easier to mix - you can also do this with your hand, but make sure you beat well.
11. Ladle with long handle to add water to the hot sugar syrup
12. Keep some Burnol and ice ready - in case you burn your hand while making caramel. Just a precaution - I will explain how to prevent this. 😁

Cake

1. All Purpose Flour / Maida – 2 cup / 240 grams
2. All Purpose Flour / Maida – 2 table spoons for tossing dry fruits
3. Sugar – 1 1/4 cup / 250 grams
4. Soft Unsalted Butter – 250 grams
5. Eggs – 5
6. Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp
7.  Baking Powder – 1 tsp
8.  Salt – 1/2 tsp
9. Dry Ginger Powder / Chukku Podi – 1/4 tsp
10. Cinnamon Powder / Pattai Podi – 3/4 tsp
11. Cloves Powder / Krambu Podi – 1/4 tsp
12. Nutmeg Powder – 1/4 tsp  (Buy nutmeg and roast and powder if you don't get this)
13. Cardamom Powder / Yelakai Podi – 1/4 tsp
14. Vanilla Essence – 2 tsp
15. The soaked dry fruits - 2 tbs, or a generous quantity - your choice, if you like your cake heady
16. Cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts - totally 200 gms. Roast the walnuts a bit, otherwise has a bitter taste. Put them in  a packet and crush a bit.
    

For Caramel:

1. Sugar – 1/2 cup
2. Water - One cup

Method:

Efficiency Tip: As and when you finish with one utensil, measuring spoon/cup, bottle, jar etc, keep it back in cupboard/fridge, wherever it belongs. That way you will feel less hassled because the table/kitchen counter won't be crowded, and you don't have to waste time cleaning up afterwards. :) If you are lucky enough to have helpers, get them to clean up vessels too at every step. 

1. First make the caramel mix and keep it aside, since it needs to cool. Take sugar in a sauce pan and heat it on low heat. Now it will start to crystalize. Keep stirring and it will slowly start to melt. Keep heating on low heat, keep stirring, until suddenly it froths up and becomes this nice dark colour. When it starts smoking, take it off the heat. 
2. WATCH OUT . Be very careful when you add in water. Water will splash when you add it to the hot sugar syrup - and this is a very painful burn. Use a ladle with a long handle and slowly add water, little by little. 
3. Stir well so it mixes and does not solidify. Note that if you add more water the caramel will solidify later. 
4. Now put back on the fire, and stir until the whole mixture has the consistency of honey. Set aside to cool.
5. If it solidifies later, heat a bit and add some water. 
   
6. Take dry fruits in a bowl, squeeze out some of the brandy, and toss it with flour. The fruits should be completely covered with maida. This is to prevent the dry fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake. Set aside. 
7. Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spice powders altogether and set aside. This is to ensure they spread evenly.
8. Melt the butter in a pan. 
9. Beat the five eggs in a separate bowl, and use the egg beater to make it fluffy.
10. Now switch on the oven and heat it at 180 degrees for 10 mins. If you have a Convection oven, set to Convection. I do this at this time because otherwise it cools down by the time the mix is ready. 
11. In a big mixing bowl, add melted butter, sugar, vanilla and beat using an electric beater till it is creamy.
12. Now add the eggs into the butter-sugar mix in the bowl and beat again till creamy.
13. Now add in half of the flour mix and half of the caramel. Fold gently.
14. Now add remaining flour and remaining caramel and fold again.
15. Add in dry fruit mix and fold gently.
16. You can also add a little of the alcohol from the dry fruit mix if you want your cake headier. Don't add too much - you could get a headache if there's too much alcohol in the cake. This cake should ideally be a little moist. 
17. Take the cashew, almond, walnut, toss in a tsp of maida and mix in. This is to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
    
18. Take the big baking pan and line it with the baking paper. If you don't have that apply butter on the pan, sprinkle some maida on it, spread and throw off excess. This is to prevent the cake from sticking on the pan.
19. Pour this in the prepared pan and bake for 30 mins at 180 degrees. Check at 30 mins with a tooth pick. If it has cooked well, the tooth pick will come out clean. If not, keep for some more time. I have a Convection oven, other ovens may need slightly longer. 
20. Remove it and let it cool. Now invert it and peel off the parchment. Slice and serve. 
    

Storage

• This cake tastes better the longer you keep it. And you don't have to keep it in the fridge. 
• Apply some of the brandy/rum/whisky from the soaked fruit mix on all sides of the cake. 
• Wrap well in aluminium foil and keep it in a cool dry place. You can put it in a zip lock bag. I keep it inside the oven itself if I am not using it. People keep it in a cupboard for months too. The pic below is the bottom of the cake. 😀

Tell me how it came out, post pics. 😊 And always eager to learn tips, so please add them in the Comments section, thank you!