Plum cake/ Christmas fruit cake

Ingredients

a. Soaked dry fruits

1. Dry fruit mix - 500gm

2. Rum/Brandy - Enough to submerge the dry fruits in

b. Spice mix

1. Clove - 2nos

2. Cardamom - 3nos

3. Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

4. Nutmeg - 1 small piece

c. Caramel Syrup

1. Sugar - 1/2cup

2. Hot water - 3/4 cup

d. For the cake

1. All-purpose flour - 2 cups

2. Sugar - 1 cup

3. Unsalted butter - 1 cup

4. Egg - 4

5. Baking soda - 1 tspn

6. Baking powder - 1 1/4 tspn

7. Orange zest - 2-3 tspn

8. Vanilla extract - 2 tspn

9. Salt - 1/2 tspn

---

Method

a. Caramel syrup

1. Add sugar to a saucepan.

2. Heat on medium heat under the sugar turn a dark amber color.

3. Gradually add hot water and make sure there are no lumps.

4. Let the caramel syrup come to room temp.

b. For the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Coat the dry fruits in 1tblspn of flour.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the spice mix.

4. Separate eggs into whites and yolks. Beat the whites until stiff peaks form.

5. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 8-10min.

6. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating continuously between each addition.

7. Add the orange zest.

8. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the caramel syrup. Do not overmix.

9. Fold in the egg whites.

10. Slowly mix in the dry fruits.

11. Transfer the mix into 1 large bundt pan or into 2 8-inch cake pan.

12. Bake for 40-50min or until a skewer inserted in he center of the cake comes out clean.

13. Let cool completely.

14. Flavor is much superior if you cut into the cake after letting it sit for between 4-5 days.