Make Traditional Dry Fruit Plum Cake at Home

India is known for its vibrant tapestry of desserts. The diverse cultures and flavors have their unique take on the sweets and confectionaries found in every nook and corner of the country. However, the plum cakes stand out as a timeless classic for many. The rich nutty goodness of the dry fruits with the moist tenderness of the cake creates a symphony of flavors in your mouth. Here you will find some basic information and recipe to prepare a traditional dry fruit plum cake at your home. 

The Origin of Plum Cake in India

Plum cakes in India can be traced back to the colonial era during the influence of the British on Indian cuisines. The concept of incorporating plum and dry fruits into cake gained popularity during Christmas celebrations among the elites. Over time, the recipe adapted to local tastes and cuisines. Today, you will find a huge variety of plum and dry fruit cakes in different parts of the country. The traditional recipe involves soaking dry fruits in rum or fruit juice. This makes them moist and deep in their flavors. 

Traditional Plum Cake Recipe to Try

This is a traditional Christmas cake recipe where the dry fruits are soaked in rum. The ingredients include different types of dry fruits, sugar, butter, eggs, and flour. Although there are different types of plum cakes like eggless and alcohol less to try, most people are interested in trying traditional plum cakes. The traditional cake has rum in it. The preparation starts many weeks before Christmas. 

If you are doing it right, the traditional plum cake will be a juicy moist rich buttery spongy affair in your mouth. Yes, that's right! There is no better way to describe it. The caramel flavor and the exotic bits of dry fruits with a kick of dark rum in each bite is worth all the effort and time. In most cases, the berries are soaked in rum for weeks. The buttery sponge cake also has an amazing caramel tint to it. This is due to the caramel syrup and warm notes of cinnamon. Below you will find the ingredients and instructions to make the traditional Christmas dry fruit plum cake.

Ingredients

Caramel Syrup

• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• ½ tbsp hot water
• Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Dry Fruits

• ½ cup dried cranberries 
• ½ cup black raisins
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• 8-10 cashew nuts
• 8-10 almonds 
• Mixed dry fruits (1 apricot, 2 dried kiwis, 3 prunes, 6 cherries, 1 tbsp dried blueberries, 1 candid ginger)
• ½ tbsp orange zest
• 1 tbsp mixed berry jam
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 cup dark rum
  
  

Cake Batter

• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tbsp baking soda
• ¼ tbsp salt
• ½ tbsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tbsp each of dry ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, clove 
• 100 gms unsalted butter
• 150 gms brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp caramel syrup
• 2 tbsp leftover rum
• 3 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1 cup of soaked dry fruits with cashews and almonds

Instructions

Grease the pan with oil or butter to prepare the plum cake and place the parchment paper. Prepare an aluminium cover to place after 40 minutes. Sieve the soaked dry fruits and get the juice out to prevent over-moisture in the cake. (you can later use this juice to brush on the cake). 

Dry roast cashews and almonds, and chop them into small pieces. This gives a crunchy feel in the mouth when you bite into each slice. You can also add other dry fruits like pistachios or walnuts based on your needs and preferences. Next, mix the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Mix the nuts with soaked dry fruits and add 2 tbsp dry ginger to prevent it from sticking to the cake bottom. 

Preparing Caramel Syrup

Add water and sugar to a pan and cook until the sugar caramelizes and turns into an amber color. Once the color of the sugar syrup changes to dark golden, switch off the flame and instantly pour hot water. Be careful of the hot splashes. Next switch on the flame and add lemon juice to prevent the sugar syrup from crystallization. Let the syrup cook for another 9 to 10 minutes to increase the constituency. 

Once the caramel syrup cools down, add it to the cake batter. Beat the butter at room temperature until it becomes smooth. Next, add dark brown sugar and beat until the mixture is well incorporated. You can also use white sugar, but to achieve the right color, using brown sugar could be apt. Add one egg at a time and incorporate well, then add vanilla syrup, caramel syrup, and the strained rum. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix gently, next add orange juice and rum-soaked dry fruits at the end. 

Transfer the cake mixture to the pan, flat it with a spatula, or use the back of the spoon. Add more dry fruits and nuts on top. Once the cake is baked and still hot, poke a few holes and pour the leftover rum. Allow the cake to cool down completely. Wrap the cake in parchment paper and then in an aluminum foil. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerate. Once a week, add more rum and again wrap it back. The traditional plum cake tastes better after feeding alcohol for a week or two. So, bake it accordingly.

Conclusion

Preparing the traditional plum cake can be a nice experience as it will take you to the age-old traditions and preparation procedures. It is also a recipe that you can try once in a while to give something special and delicious to your family. You can also try other types of plum cakes, which can be eggless, alcohol less or diabetic-friendly. All you have to do is to make some basic changes in the ingredients. 

If you are looking for an option to buy dry fruits and berries online, Healthy Master is the right choice. We provide some of the highest quality and premium dry fruits and berries available in the market. There are also many nutritiously curated snacks and offerings which will help you to snack healthy during this holiday season.