As Christmas is just around the corner, try this traditional Plum Cake popular as Christmas Cake with Chef Varun Inamdar only on Get Curried. <br /> <br />When an occasion knocks on your door, then it is always advisable to welcome it with a certain degree of passion. As Christmas is just around the corner, try this traditional plum cake which is great as a dessert with a dollop of ice cream or works prefect with your evening tea too. Cheers! <br /> <br />Ingredients <br /> <br />250 gms Maida <br />250 gms softened butter <br />250 gms powdered sugar <br />4 eggs <br />1.5 tsp baking powder <br />1/2 cup citrus peels <br />1/2 cup prunes, chopped <br />1/2 cup black sultanas seedless (soaked in 1/4 cup orange juice) <br />1/2 cup raisins (soaked in 1/4 cup orange juice) <br />1 tbsp spice mix <br /> <br />For the spice mix <br />1 tbsp cloves <br />1 tsp black pepper <br />3-4 green cardamoms <br />1 black cardamom <br />2 nos 1 inch stick cinnamon <br />½ nutmeg <br />2 blades of mace <br />1 small star anise <br />½ tsp fennel seeds <br /> <br />Royal Icing <br />60 grams egg whites <br />2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice <br />3 cups (330 grams) icing sugar sifted <br /> <br />Gumpaste <br />220 gms Icing sugar <br />30 ml water <br />1/2 tsp gelatin <br />1/2 tsp golden syrup <br />Bloom gelatin in water. <br /> <br />Add golden syrup. Heat for 30 seconds or till the mixture becomes clear. Pour over sieved sugar. Knead into a soft pliable play dough like ball. Color as required. <br /> <br />Method <br /> <br />- In a large bowl, mix butter and powdered sugar together. <br />- Keep adding eggs and cream the mixture well. <br />- In another bowl, sieve flour and baking soda well. <br />- Similarly sieve raisins and black sultanas that are soaked in orange juice. Add this to the flour mix. <br />- Also add citrus peels and mix them well. <br />- Add dry seedless plums and mix well. <br />- Once the fruits are coated with the flour, mix them in the wet mixture. <br />- Add the remaining juice from the soaked raisins and sultanas. <br />- Add the fresh spice mix in to the batter and mix well. <br />- Apply oil to the cake mold and also dust it with flour. <br />- Place the batter in the cake mold. <br />- Bake it for 40 to 45 minutes. <br />- Roll the colored balls in to thin disk and cut them in leaves shape. <br />- Shape the leaves with the help of sponge so as to make it look natural. <br />- Like leaves, shape berries as well. <br />- Allow the cake to cool down completely. <br />- Once the cake is cooled, its time for frosting. <br />- Frost the cake evenly. <br />- Decorate as per your choice and creativity. <br />- Time to indulge in delicious plum cake! <br /> <br />For Spice Mix <br /> <br />- In a grinder add fennel seeds, star anise, black pepper, cloves, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and mace. <br />- Grind it in to a powder. <br /> <br />For Royal Icing <br /> <br />- Whisk the egg whites in a bowl and add icing sugar to this. <br />- Add lemon juice and keep whisking the icing sugar in to the mixture simultaneously. <br />- The royal icing is ready. Keep it under a damp cloth till its ready to use.
