Christmas 2020: Christmas Plum cakes are made of either dried fruits like grapes, currants, raisins or prunes or with fresh fruits depending on one’s taste and preference along with plums as the primary ingredient. Most people prefer adding rum or brandy infused dried fruits in the cake while some may prefer to bake their cake without any alcohol.
One can buy plum cakes from outside, but how about preparing it at home and making the festival extra special for you and your loved ones? Here’s a wonderful recipe of Plum Cake you should try making at home this Christmas.
Cook Time: 1.35 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Recipe servings: Two 5/9 inch loaf tins
Preparation Time: 30 mins
Ingredients for Plum cake
1 cup raisins
1 cup figs chopped
1 cup dried apricots chopped
1/2cup dried ginger chopped
Half cup candied orange peel chopped
Three-Fourth cup Brandy
225 gms butter melted
380 gms flour
1.5 tsps baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Half tsp ground ginger
Half tsp ground cloves
Half tsp salt
300 gms breakfast sugar
150 gms packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup toasted walnuts
Half cup apricot jam
Half cup warm water
How to make a plum cake
- Stir together dried fruit, candied ginger, candied orange peel and brandy. Keep overnight.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Butter two 9/5 inch loaf tins. Line them with butter paper.
- In a bowl mix dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, spices and salt.
- In a mixer beat butter and both the sugars until smooth. Mix eggs one at a time followed by molasses and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture. Mix till smooth. Add the fruit mixture and walnuts.
- Divide the batter between the two tins. Bake for 1 hour and 35 minutes or till the tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and brush the top with more liquor. Remove and place on a wired rack.
- Heat the jam and water till smooth and glaze the top of the warmed cake.
Important tips by the Chef
*You can boil the dried fruit and candied fruit, strain and use immediately if running low on time.
* Brandy can be substituted with any other dark rum or orange flavoured liqueur.
*Use the best quality dried fruits available.
*Unglazed cakes can be shrink-wrapped and stored for up to one month in the fridge.
