Fruit Cake for Christmas

S, my daughter insisted that a Christmas cake had to be planned well in advance.  Fruits steeped in alcohol at least a month in advance. We realised nothing can be planned when there is a baby at home.  Then Priya  posted this recipe for a last-minute cake.  We put the little one in a pram, headed for the nearest supermarket, picked up the ingredients, stayed up most part of the night and had the cake ready on Christmas eve.

Ingredients:  

There are three stages - preparing the caramel, preparing the fruits, and preparing the batter

Caramel -

Sugar - 1/2 cup and water 1/4 cup

Mixed fruits - 11/4  cup ( the packet contained raisins,sultanas,figs, mixed peel) - and I added dates, and orange zest.  Chop the fruits

Nuts - 1 cup - cashew, almond, walnut - chopped coarsely

Orange juice - 3 tbsp

Rum - 2 tbsp ( though Priya says you can omit the orange juice and add up to 1/4 cup of rum)

Unsalted butter - 230 gms

Granulated sugar - 1 cup

Eggs - 3 large

Vanilla - 1 tsp ( or rum extract)

All Purpose Flour - 1 1/4 cup

Mixed spices - 1/2 tsp each - nutmeg, ginger powder, cinnamon powder

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Preparation 

Making the caramel - Take a pan, add the 1/2 cup sugar and allow it to melt on medium heat. Be very careful. It will turn golden brown.  Keep swirling/mixing and allow another 30 secs till it turns slightly darker. Remove from heat.  Add the 1/4 cup water.  The caramel will harden.  On slow heat allow the caramel to melt. It will be a dark solution like that of Coke.  Remove from heat.  Cool and keep.  Do not allow the sugar to burn as the cake may turn bitter.  Keep a close eye and regular mixing is essential )

Preparing the fruit - in a pan, add the orange juice/ rum.  Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add the chopped mixed fruit and orange zest.  Cook 3 minutes.  Add the chopped nuts. Keep a minute longer. Remove and cool.

Sift the flour, salt, spice, baking powder

Pre-heat oven 180 C

Line a 8" tin - bottom and sides 

In a bowl , beat the butter and gradually add the sugar, continue to beat till a soft mixture is obtained

Add eggs - one at a time - continuously beating the mixture

And the vanilla extract

Now fold in  flour and then the caramel alternately- till the whole amount is used up

Add dry fruits and nuts.  Mix well.

Pour into the prepared cake tin.

Place in oven.  Bake for about 50 minutes.  Check cake regularly after 40-45 minutes with a skewer through the centre. Make sure it comes out clean before removing it from the oven. 

Cool thoroughly.

Dust with icing sugar and serve