Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredientsfor 6 servings

• 1 cup All purpose flour Maida
• 3/4 cup Butter at room temp
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 nos Eggs
• 1 cup Tutti Frutti
• 1/4 cup Raisins Unakka munthiri
• 1/4 cup Cashew nuts — chopped
• 1/4 cup Almonds and Walnuts — chopped
• 1/4 cup Dates — chopped
• 1 cup Rum/Wine or enough to soak the fruit
• Orange and lemon peel, to taste
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon — powdered
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg — powdered
• 1/4 tsp Ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp Cloves powder

Preparation

1. Step 1

   For preparing the fruits: Chop and soak the dry fruits in rum/wine and keep it in a bottle overnight at room temperature. (You could do it 2 to 3 months ahead. Make sure you shake the jar once a while. Longer the better. I like 2 months).

2. Step 2

   For preparing caramel: In a heavy bottomed pan, add the sugar and a tbsp of water on medium high heat. The sugar will start to melt and start to change color. Please do not stir, swirl the vessel a couple of times. Slowly the color will become a little dark golden brown. Turn off the heat, immediately pour half a cup of water, stir and Stir everything together thoroughly (be careful it will splash and melted sugar can really burn if it falls on your skin).

3. Step 3

   For preparing kerala christmas fruit cake: 1)Sift the flour along with baking powder and set aside(make sure you mix the baking powder and the flour before sifting).

4. Step 4

   Now separate egg yolks from the whites, beat the yolks and vanilla till golden and creamy.

5. Step 5

   Get your time creaming the butter. Beat cream for at least 5 minutes to get lots of air into the butter.

6. Step 6

   Add the yolk mixture little at a time alternating with little sieved flour and combine till smooth.

7. Step 7

   Pour the caramel syrup and the spice powders and beat till everything is creamy and combined.

8. Step 8

   Drain the soaked fruits and add to the mixture and Stir everything together thoroughly again.

9. Step 9

   Beat the egg whites until light and frothy before folding them into the butter mixture.

10. Step 10

    Grease the cake pan well and line with parchment paper. Pour batter up to half of the cake pan.

11. Step 11

    Tap the cake pan on the counter top to remove all the air bubbles.

12. Step 12

    Bake for 45 to 50 min, or until tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

13. Step 13

    Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for some time. Then invert and let it cool well before cutting.

14. Step 14

    Note: 1)Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

15. Step 15

    Butter should be in room temperature.

16. Step 16

    Add little unflavored gelatin to batter. This helps surface splitting or cracking.

17. Step 17

    Adding a tsp of lemon juice to butter and sugar mix helps the cake be lighter(try only if you are an experienced).

18. Step 18

    Measure all the ingredients to exact quantity first and then sift.

19. Step 19

    Once you¦ve poured the batter in, wobble the pan sideways a bit so the batter reaches up along each side(with the middle being slightly lower). As it bakes, the middle and edges will meet and rise more evenly.

20. Step 20

    Preheat the oven first before starting, make sure the rack is in the center(unless directed differently) and keep tin in the center of the rack. If you¦re baking more than one at a time, keep them at least 2″ away from the walls of the oven and from each other.

21. Step 21

    Fruit Cakes: Keep a heatproof dish full of water in the oven while baking.