Rich and moist, traditional Christmas fruit cake | plum cake recipe, Indian style with step-by-step pictures. Learn how to make a moist and delicious Christmas fruit cake from scratch with the help of this tried and tested family recipe!
Reblogging last year’s post:
It’s exactly 10 days to Christmas! Woohoo!! My preps are in full swing, although I still have a fair bit left to be done! Remember my post on rum soaked dry fruits ? It was about time for those drunken dry fruits to be used in the making of the boozy fruit cake – A cake that is a rich with alcohol soaked dry fruits, absolutely moist and reminiscent of spices. Wow! My kitchen was brimming with the aroma of all the warm spices:)
As I’ve mentioned before, this is the first time I baked a Christmas fruit cake, ever! My mum would not make this at home, but instead, we bought them from local bakeries, which frankly were just okay, not too bad, not too good either.
And then one fine Christmas eve, I had the opportunity to taste the Christmas fruit cake made at my in-laws home, which I fell in love with! It was unlike the ones I had eaten all these years. My in-laws have this tradition of cutting the fruitcake after attending midnight mass, followed by a cup of coffee to wash it all down 🙂
The cakes that I see here in the American stores are filled with all kinds of candied fruits, nuts, cherries etc, In fact, I hardly see any cake crumb, they just seem so dense. I guess that’s why it isn’t liked here as much? Cause whenever I see these shows on Food network, where they asked to bake a fruit cake or transform that fruitcake into something new, I see a look of dismay on most of the contestant’s face (I sure am going to buy a small one, just to know what the fuss is all about :p).
Well, this rich moist fruit cake recipe isn’t like that! The Indian Christmas cake recipe is basically an adaptation of the English fruitcake. It’s got the right balance of all the ingredients, the quantity of fruits and nuts are proportional to the cake, you get a good bite of both along with the exquisite hint of the spices, that just screams Holidays 🙂
If you have never tried baking a fruit cake before, I would urge you to give it a go. This is the best ever Christmas fruit cake I have had. Believe you me! You are going to love it too:) Do not be intimidated by the long procedure, yes it’s different from baking a regular cake, but sure is a wonderful experience that will leave you immensely satisfied.
- DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THESE TRADITIONAL GOAN CHRISTMAS SWEETS TOO!
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE RICH CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE WITH RUM | CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE
- HOW TO MAKE RICH CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE WITH RUM | RUM SOAKED FRUIT CAKE?
- Rich Christmas Fruit Cake | How To Make Fruit Cake
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THESE TRADITIONAL GOAN CHRISTMAS SWEETS TOO!
- Bebinca
- Guava cheese
- Milk Cream
- Coconut Toffee
- Baath cake
- Doce de grao (chana dal fudge)
- Karanji/Neureos
- Kormolas
- Shankapali
- Eggless and no-cook marzipan
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE RICH CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE WITH RUM | CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE
1.Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150-degree Celsius. Line a baking tin with parchment paper/ or grease it generously with butter, dust it with all purpose flour.
2.In a pan on low heat, dry roast the cloves, cinnamon, and green cardamom, until fragrant. Let it cool. Transfer it to a grinder jar, add 3 tablespoons sugar, grind to a fine powder. Sift and set aside until further use.
3.Prepare the dry ingredients: Sift the flour and salt if using. Set aside.
4.Drain the dry fruits, (you can collect the leftover rum). Coat the dry fruits with 1/2 cup of the sifted all-purpose flour (maida) just before folding it in the batter.
5.Prepare the caramel: In a saucepan, add sugar and water, heat on low heat until the sugar starts melting and turns dark brown. Immediately add 1/8 cup of water( exercise extreme precaution, as caramel, is very hot, and it splutters on the addition of water), continue heating on low heat till it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Set aside from the heat until further use.
6.In your electric grinder, add in 1/2 cup pitted, chopped dates, grind with 1/4 cup of the rum, drained in step 4. Set aside.
7.In a mixing bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand beater), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
8.Add eggs one at a time, beat on high speed until well incorporated.
9.Add the flour, little at a time, continue beating on very slow speed, just until everything is well incorporated. (Do not overbeat the batter).
10.Add the dates paste, continue beating on the lowest speed.
11.Add the sifted powdered sugar + spice mixture, mix on low speed.
12.Now add the prepared caramel syrup, again continue mixing on low speed, till well mixed.
13.Fold the flour coated dry fruits in the batter gently. Do this with the help of a spatula.
14.Transfer the batter to a well greased baking tin (I used a standard bundt pan and an eight-inch round cake pan), tap it on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles, bake it in the middle rack at 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150 degree Celsius for about 1 hour. Check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean it is done. If not, lower the temperature to 200 degrees F/95 degrees C for another 15-30 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in comes out clean. The cake should rise well and have a uniform brown color. Transfer to a wire rack, let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the tin, and let it cool on the wire rack.
- To feed the cake: Transfer the cake to a aluminum foil / parchment paper, prick tiny holes on the surface of the cake with the help of a skewer/ fork, brush with the remaining drained rum/ fresh rum, once or twice every day/alternate day ( depends on how boozy you want it to be), until Christmas. To store the cake, wrap the cake in aluminum foil/parchment paper and store it in an airtight container in a cool place.
A big thank you to my Mum in law for adding her special touch to this picture!
NOTES
- For a moist fruit cake recipe without alcohol , soak the dry fruits in orange juice/ grape juice, cover and refrigerate it for about a 2-3 days to a week, drain and use as directed above.
- You may skip making the caramel and add 1/3 cup of molasses instead.
- You can cut this recipe in half to make just one cake.
HOW TO MAKE RICH CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE WITH RUM | RUM SOAKED FRUIT CAKE?
Rich Christmas Fruit Cake | How To Make Fruit Cake
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 500 grams all-purpose flour (maida)
- 500 grams salted butter, I used ‘Amul’ butter, easily available in Indian stores
- 450 grams sugar
- 9 medium eggs/6 large eggs, It should weigh approx 500 grams with the shell
- 500 grams rum soaked dry fruits, drained
- 1/2 cup pitted and chopped dates
- 9 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 14-15 green cardamoms
- 3/4 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter
For the caramel*
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1/4 cup of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150-degree Celsius. Line a baking tin with parchment paper/ or grease it generously with butter, dust it with all purpose flour.
- In a pan on low heat, dry roast the cloves, cinnamon, and green cardamom, until fragrant. Let it cool. Transfer it to a grinder jar, add 3 tablespoons sugar, grind to a fine powder. Sift and set aside until further use.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: Sift the flour and salt if using. Set aside.
- Drain the dry fruits, (you can collect the leftover rum). Coat the dry fruits with 1/2 cup of the sifted all-purpose flour (maida) just before folding it in the batter.
- Prepare the caramel: In a saucepan, add 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp water, heat on low heat until the sugar starts melting and turns dark brown. Immediately add 1/4 cup of water (exercise extreme precaution, as caramel, is very hot, and it splutters on the addition of water), continue heating on low heat till it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Set aside from the heat until further use.
- In your electric grinder, add in 1/2 cup pitted, chopped dates, grind with 1/4 cup of the rum, drained in step 4. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand beater), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beat on high speed until well incorporated.
- Add the flour, little at a time, continue beating on very slow speed, just until everything is well incorporated. (Do not overbeat the batter).
- Add the dates paste, continue beating on the lowest speed.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar + spice mixture, mix on low speed.
- Now add the prepared caramel syrup, again continue mixing on low speed, till well mixed.
- Fold the flour coated dry fruits in the batter gently. Do this with the help of a spatula.
- Transfer the batter to a well greased baking tin (I used a standard bundt pan and an eight-inch round cake pan), tap it on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles, bake it in the middle rack at 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150 degree Celsius for about 1 hour. Check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean it is done. If not, lower the temperature to 200 degrees F/95 degrees C for another 15-30 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in comes out clean. The cake should rise well and have a uniform brown color. Transfer to a wire rack, let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the tin, and let it cool on the wire rack.
- To feed the cake: Transfer the cake to a aluminum foil / parchment paper, prick tiny holes on the surface of the cake with the help of a skewer/ fork, brush with the remaining drained rum/ fresh rum, once or twice every day/alternate day ( depends on how boozy you want it to be), until Christmas. To store the cake, wrap the cake in aluminum foil/parchment paper and store it in an airtight container in a cool place.
Notes
- For a moist fruit cake recipe without alcohol , soak the dry fruits in orange juice/grape juice, cover and refrigerate it for about a 2-3 days to a week, drain and use as directed above.
- You may skip making the caramel and add 1/3 cup of molasses instead.
- You can cut this recipe in half to make just one cake.
Did you enjoy this easy Christmas cake recipe , I would love to hear from you if you try it out! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
You can also follow me on :
Facebook @ Aromaticessence
Pinterest @ Aromatic Essence
Instagram @ aromatic_essence77
Twitter @ freda_dias
Regards,
Freda
Rich Christmas Fruit Cake | How To Make Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 500 grams all-purpose flour (maida)
- 500 grams salted butter, I used ‘Amul’ butter, easily available in Indian stores
- 450 grams sugar
- 9 medium eggs/6 large eggs, It should weigh approx 500 grams with the shell
- 500 grams rum soaked dry fruits, drained
- 1/2 cup pitted and chopped dates
- 9 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 14-15 green cardamoms
- 3/4 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter
For the caramel*
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1/4 cup of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150-degree Celsius. Line a baking tin with parchment paper/ or grease it generously with butter, dust it with all purpose flour.
- In a pan on low heat, dry roast the cloves, cinnamon, and green cardamom, until fragrant. Let it cool. Transfer it to a grinder jar, add 3 tablespoons sugar, grind to a fine powder. Sift and set aside until further use.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: Sift the flour and salt if using. Set aside.
- Drain the dry fruits, (you can collect the leftover rum). Coat the dry fruits with 1/2 cup of the sifted all-purpose flour (maida) just before folding it in the batter.
- Prepare the caramel: In a saucepan, add 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp water, heat on low heat until the sugar starts melting and turns dark brown. Immediately add 1/4 cup of water (exercise extreme precaution, as caramel, is very hot, and it splutters on the addition of water), continue heating on low heat till it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Set aside from the heat until further use.
- In your electric grinder, add in 1/2 cup pitted, chopped dates, grind with 1/4 cup of the rum, drained in step 4. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand beater), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beat on high speed until well incorporated.
- Add the flour, little at a time, continue beating on very slow speed, just until everything is well incorporated. (Do not overbeat the batter).
- Add the dates paste, continue beating on the lowest speed.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar + spice mixture, mix on low speed.
- Now add the prepared caramel syrup, again continue mixing on low speed, till well mixed.
- Fold the flour coated dry fruits in the batter gently. Do this with the help of a spatula.
- Transfer the batter to a well greased baking tin (I used a standard bundt pan and an eight-inch round cake pan), tap it on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles, bake it in the middle rack at 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150 degree Celsius for about 1 hour. Check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean it is done. If not, lower the temperature to 200 degrees F/95 degrees C for another 15-30 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in comes out clean. The cake should rise well and have a uniform brown color. Transfer to a wire rack, let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the tin, and let it cool on the wire rack.
- To feed the cake: Transfer the cake to a aluminum foil / parchment paper, prick tiny holes on the surface of the cake with the help of a skewer/ fork, brush with the remaining drained rum/ fresh rum, once or twice every day/alternate day ( depends on how boozy you want it to be), until Christmas. To store the cake, wrap the cake in aluminum foil/parchment paper and store it in an airtight container in a cool place.
Notes
- For a moist fruit cake recipe without alcohol , soak the dry fruits in orange juice/grape juice, cover and refrigerate it for about a 2-3 days to a week, drain and use as directed above.
- You may skip making the caramel and add 1/3 cup of molasses instead.
- You can cut this recipe in half to make just one cake.
This Methi Matar Malai Paneer | methi malai mutter is luscious, creamy and sweet, balanced out with the subtle bitterness from the fenugreek leaves!
Wishing all my reader’s a Happy and prosperous New Year! Hope everyone had a fabulous and fun filled day 🙂
I’d like to share yet another of my favorite North Indian dishes- Methi matar malai | methi mutter malai recipe , with the addition of paneer here. Like most North Indian dishes this one doesn’t fall short of all the rich ingredients as well. Loads of cream is what makes this dish so rich, but the interesting part is the use of fenugreek leaves.
Methi matar malai such a well-balanced dish despite all it’s glorious, nutty richness. The fenugreek leaves add a distinct bitterness yet palatable flavor, one that is truly addictive and makes this dish so unique.
Then there is the sweetness from the green peas which also makes for a great textural element in this ultra creamy dish! The addition of mava/khoya makes it even more luxurious.
I simply adore the North Indian white gravy any day over its red counterpart. It’s sweet and very mildly spiced. I love the red gravy too, but If I had to pick then I’d definitely choose the former. Since it is so rich, I make this dish very rarely.
Yes, you can definitely make a low-calorie version of methi matar malai by omitting the cream, the mava/khoya, butter, and the nuts. But what’s the fun in that, right? So I rather make it once in a blue moon and enjoy it 🙂
Unfortunately, we do not get fresh fenugreek leaves here, so we grow our own. But it takes a good 4 weeks to harvest the fenugreek. So yes we have to wait that long to enjoy a fenugreek dish 🙁
I made this methi matar malai paneer using our very own homegrown methi, and that makes it even more special 🙂 We love gardening, but space constraints in an apartment restrict how much we can plant. We still have a few plants, like a banana plant, Ichiban eggplants, Thai chillies, curry leaves, lemongrass, basil, mint, and a few other herbs.
So when I made this methi matar malai paneer, I had to share it here on the blog, coz it’s going to be a while the next time I make this. Sometimes when I feel like having this dish, and I don’t have fenugreek, I make palak methi matar malai by simply substituting fresh fenugreek leaves with frozen spinach and adding extra kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
You may also use only dried fenugreek leaves, just rehydrate them in water for 15-30 minutes and add it at the same time you would add the fresh ones.
- ENJOYED THIS METHI MATAR MALAI PANEER RECIPE? THEN DO CHECK THESE DELICIOUS NORTH INDIAN DISHES TOO,
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE METHI MATAR MALAI IN WHITE GRAVY | METHI MATAR MALAI RESTAURANT STYLE
- HOW TO MAKE METHI MATAR MALAI PANEER | METHI MALAI MUTTER?
- Methi Matar Malai Paneer
ENJOYED THIS METHI MATAR MALAI PANEER RECIPE? THEN DO CHECK THESE DELICIOUS NORTH INDIAN DISHES TOO,
- Malai Kofta in white gravy
- Shahi Paneer
- Paneer butter masala
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE METHI MATAR MALAI IN WHITE GRAVY | METHI MATAR MALAI RESTAURANT STYLE
1.Heat water in a pot, once it comes to a boil, add roughly chopped onions, cashew nuts. Let it boil until they both are tender, will take about 2-3 minutes. Switch off the heat, drain the onions and cashew nuts in a colander. Let it cool down.
2.Make a fine paste of the boiled onions, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, green chillies in a blender. The onions have enough moisture, so there is no need to add any water. Add minimal water if required.
3.Shallow fry the paneer pieces and immerse them in warm water until ready to use.
4.In a heavy bottomed pan, heat butter and oil. Add cumin seeds. Once cumin seeds crackle, add in the coarsely crushed ginger garlic paste. Saute until fragrant on medium heat.
5.Now add the prepared onion paste, saute for another 2 -3 minutes.
6.Add mava and continue sauteing until the onion-mava paste starts leaving oil from the sides of the pan. Do not brown the paste.
7.Add in chopped methi leaves ( Refer notes to reduce bitterness), saute until the leaves wilt, for another 2-3 minutes.
8.Now add green peas, salt, sugar, garam masala, and milk. Mix well and cook this mixture for another 2-3 minutes.
9.Add fried paneer pieces, and cook for another 2 minutes.
10.Finally add the cream, crushed kasoori methi and cardamom powder. Mix well, and let it simmer for 2 more minutes. Switch off the heat, and serve with naan/paratha/kulcha/chapati or any other flatbread.
NOTES
- For methi matar malai recipe without cream – Ideally only cream is used in this dish, so you can skip the cream completely and add only milk for a low cal version or use half and half. You can add yogurt for a low cal version, but it will change the flavor profile of this dish.
- I love the bitterness of fenugreek leaves. However, if you don’t like it, then after chopping the fenugreek leaves, add a little salt, mix it well, leave it for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes squeeze the leaves well to get rid of the bitter juices. Rinse and use as directed in the recipe.
- You can add ginger and garlic directly whilst grinding the onion paste. But I love sauteing the freshly crushed ginger garlic in butter, it adds a lovely aroma and flavor.
- Since I use homemade garam masala, it is slightly strong, so I use less. You may use about 1/4 teaspoon if using store bought garam masala. Do not add too much as it will overpower the dish.
- If using fresh green peas, boil them before adding to the gravy.
- Simply skip paneer, and serve it as methi matar malai.
- You can also make another interesting variation, methi malai corn , by swapping peas with fresh or frozen sweet corn.
HOW TO MAKE METHI MATAR MALAI PANEER | METHI MALAI MUTTER?
Methi Matar Malai Paneer
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 2 cup fresh fenugreek leaves, cleaned, washed and chopped finely.
- 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed in warm water for 5-10 minutes
- 200 grams paneer, cut into desired size pieces
- 1 large yellow onion/ 2-3 small onions
- 2-3 green chilies, I just used 1 jalapeno
- 10 cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
- 2 tbsp milk-mava powder/khoya, optional
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp freshly crushed ginger garlic paste, 3 garlic cloves and 1/2 inch ginger
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup cream/malai I used heavy whipping cream, you may use fresh malai
- 1/8 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tbsp dry roasted and crushed kasoori methi
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat water in a pot, once it comes to a boil, add roughly chopped onions, cashew nuts. Let it boil until they both are tender, will take about 2-3 minutes. Switch off the heat, drain the onions and cashew nuts in a colander. Let it cool down.
- Make a fine paste of the boiled onions, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, green chillies in a blender. The onions have enough moisture, so there is no need to add any water. Add minimal water if required.
- Shallow fry the paneer pieces and immerse them in warm water until ready to use.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, heat butter and oil. Add cumin seeds. Once cumin seeds crackle, add in the coarsely crushed ginger garlic paste. Saute until fragrant on medium heat.
- Now add the prepared onion paste, saute for another 2 -3 minutes.
- Add mava and continue sauteing until the onion-mava paste starts leaving oil from the sides of the pan. Do not brown the paste.
- Add in chopped methi leaves (Refer notes to reduce bitterness), saute until the leaves wilt, for another 2-3 minutes.
- Now add green peas, salt, sugar, garam masala, and milk. Mix well and cook this mixture for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add fried paneer pieces, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Finally add the cream, crushed kasoori methi and cardamom powder. Mix well, and let it simmer for 2 more minutes. Switch off the heat, and serve with naan/paratha/kulcha/chapati or any other flatbread.
Notes
- For methi matar malai recipe without cream -Ideally only cream is used in this dish, so you can skip the cream completely and add only milk for a low cal version or use half and half. You can add yogurt for a low cal version, but it will change the flavor profile of this dish.
- I love the bitterness of fenugreek leaves. However, if you don’t like it, then after chopping the fenugreek leaves, add a little salt, mix it well, leave it for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes squeeze the leaves well to get rid of the bitter juices. Rinse and use as directed in the recipe.
- You can add ginger and garlic directly whilst grinding the onion paste. But I love sauteing the freshly crushed ginger garlic in butter, it adds a lovely aroma and flavor.
- Since I use homemade garam masala, it is slightly strong, so I use less. You may use about 1/4 teaspoon if using store bought garam masala. Do not add too much as it will overpower the dish.
- If using fresh green peas, boil them before adding to the gravy.
- Simply skip paneer, and serve it as methi matar malai.
- You can also make another interesting variation, methi malai corn , by swapping peas with fresh or frozen sweet corn.
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
You can also follow me on :
Regards,
Freda
