This is a super moist Christmas fruit cake loaded with dry fruits soaked in alcohol. The special taste of the cake is mostly from aroma of spices used in it. The spices and dry fruits in the cake are supposed to represent the exotic Eastern spices brought by the three wise men to the new born king.
Ingredients
1. Unsalted butter – 225 gm
2. Brown sugar – 225 gm
3. Eggs – 4 large
4. Flour (maida) – 225 gm
5. Spice mix – 2 tsp (recipe is there in the blog)
6. Salt – ½ tsp
7. Baking powder – ½ tsp
8. Caramel – ½ cup (method given below)
9. Lemon zest – of 1 lemon
10. Orange zest – of 1 orange
11. Vanilla extract – 1 Tbsp
12. Soaked dry fruits – 800 gm (soaking recipe is there in the blog)
13. Toasted and chopped almonds – 25 gm
14. Toasted and chopped walnuts – 25 gm
For preparation of caramel
1. Heat a pan. Add 1 cup of white sugar. When it starts changing colour to golden brown lower the flame and stir well.
2. Add ½ cup of water stirring continuously till caramel melts. Keep aside and let it cool.
Preparation of cake
1. Preheat oven to 150 degree celcius.
2. Grease a cake tin and line it with butter paper at the bottom and sides. Keep aside.
3. Sift maida with baking powder, salt and spice mix.
4. Strain the dry fruits and mix with4 Tbsp of maida and keep aside saving the liquid for later use.
5. In a bowl beat butter till light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and beat until creamy.
6. Gradually add eggs, one by one, beating well.
7. Add the maida mix, little by little, mixing slowly.
8. Add caramel, zest of lemon and orange and vanilla essence. Mix well.
9. Add the soaked dry fruits along with almonds and walnuts. Mix well.
10. Add drained alcohol and mix well.
11. Transfer to the greased baking dish and bake for 80-90 minutes or till done.
12. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle alcohol (30 ml) and keep aside to cool and remove the butter paper.
13. Brush the cake with alcohol again and wrap tightly with butter paper or cling film and store it. Brush alcohol in between till it is cut.
Tips
1. Use the same brand of alcohol for soaking as well as feeding the cake.
2. Ideally store the cake for minimum one week before cutting.
3. Prick the top of the cake with toothpick to allow alcohol to seep in.
4. The caramel can be prepared a day or two in advance.
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