Christmas Plum Cake with Rum

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Juicy Moist Rich Buttery Sponge with that lovely Caramel flavor and exotic bits of Dry Fruits in each bite with a kick of Dark Rum, a Homemade plum cake is worth all the effort you invest in it!  

ย Super Moist Christmas Fruit Cake that is loaded with the goodness of Juicy Berries that were soaked in dark RUM for days. This Recipe is my yearly ritual which i enjoy making every Christmas. I never liked the taste of store bought Plum Cakes but fell in love with the homemade recipe which includes the choice of dry fruits that we like and the buttery moist sponge with moist boozy dry fruits with it makes it a perfect Christmas Fruit Cake!

The Buttery Soft Sponge of a plum cake has a beautiful caramel tint and flavor from the homemade caramel syrup and warm notes of Cinnamon and other whole spices to keep you warm during cold Winter days.

Christmas Plum Cake with Rum

Super Moist Christmas Fruit Cake that is loaded with the goodness of EXOTIC Berries, Dry fruits that were soaked in RUM for days.ย The Buttery Soft Sponge of a plum cake has a beautiful caramel tint and flavor from the homemade caramel syrup and warm notes of Cinnamon and other whole spices to keep you warm during cold Winter days.

Ingredients

FOR CARAMEL SYRUP

  • 1/4 Cup white sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Water
  • 1/2 Cup Hot Water
  • Lemon juice 1 Tsp

FOR DRY FRUITS

  • 1/2 Cup | 60gms Dried Cranberries
  • 1/2 Cup | 75gms Black Raisins
  • 1/4 Cup | 40gms Golden Raisins/Sultanas
  • Mixed Dry Fruits ( I used 2 Dried Kiwis, 3 Prunes, 1 Apricot, 6 cherries, 1 Tbsp Dried Blueberries, 1 Candied Ginger)
  • 1/2 Tsp Freshly grated Orange Zest (skin of Orange, take only the orange part not the inside yellow part which can be bitter)
  • Mixed Berry Jam 1 Tbsp (Orange Marmalade/Apricot Jam also works well)
  • Honey 1 Tbsp
  • Dark Rum (about 1 Cup)

FOR THE CAKE BATTER

  • 1 Cup | 120gm All Purpose Flour
  • Baking Powder 1/2 Tsp
  • Baking Soda 1/4 Tsp
  • Salt 1/4 Tsp
  • 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon powder
  • 1/4th TSP each of dry Ginger, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Clove powder
  • Unsalted Butter 1/4 Cup + 3 Tbsp | 100gms, room temperature
  • Dark Muscovado Sugar 3/4 Cup |ย 150g (remove any lumps ahead before mixing with the butter)
  • 2 Eggs, room temperature
  • 1 TSP Vanilla Essence
  • Caramel Syrup (around 2 Tbsp)
  • 2 Tbsp leftover Rum
  • 3 Tbsp Fresh Orange Juice ( juice of one Orange, ensure it is sweet though)
  • 1 Cup of Soaked Dry Fruits mixed with 1/2 Cup Cashews & Almonds

Instructions

  • Prepare the pans ahead for baking, grease with oil and place a parchment paper with long edges if loaf shaped for easy pull out, prepare an aluminium coverย as well (to be placed after 40mins after baking on top of the tin to prevent burnt top due to the caramel syrup).
    I baked two cakes one loaf shaped and one round shaped using total 2 Cups of the soaked Dry Fruits using the same recipe one after another.
    8 inch tins
  • Sieve the pre soaked dry fruits to get the juice out of it and reserve this juice to brush and add to the cake later. Check the post related to how i soaked my dry fruits. Click here https://theartisticcook.com/how-to-soak-fruits-for-christmas-plum-cake/
    If the dry fruits were refrigerated then allow to come to room temperature before adding to the cake batter.
    strain dry fruits
  • Dry roast the cashews and almonds, then chop them into small bits. Cutting them small gives a good mouthfeel when you bite into each slice. You can add any other dried fruits like walnuts or pistachios etc.
    dry fruits Nuts
  • Sieve together the Flour, Baking powder, Soda, Salt and spices.
    sieve dry ingredients
  • MIx the Nuts with the sieved soaked dry fruits. Add 2 Tbsp of the dry ingredients to prevent them from sinking to the cake bottom during baking.
    mix with flour

To Prepare the Caramel Syrup

  • Heat Sugar and Water on LOW Flame till the sugar caramelizes and turns into a beautiful amber color. Do not let it burn though. Keep tilting the pan to mix the sugar evenly, do not use a spoon.
    caramel syrup 1
  • Once color changes to dark golden, switch off the flame and immediately pour hot water from the sides bit by bit slowly. Be careful of hot splashes. Switch on flame and add lemon juice to prevent further crystallization.
    caramel syrup
  • Let the syrup cook for 9-10mins on LOW flame till it gets bit thick. Do not let it become too thick though. Let it cool down a bit before adding to the cake batter. If it becomes too hard, then add some hot water and heat it again.
    caramel syrup 4

To prepare the CAKE BATTER

  • Beat the butter till smooth for a few seconds. Ensure the butter is at room temperature only.
    Add Dark Muscovado Sugar and mix with a spatula to remove any lumps. Then Beat with the beater till well incorporated. You can use Brown sugar or white sugar instead but dark muscovado sugar gives a darker tint and a lovely intense flavor to the sponge.
    butter sugar
  • Add the Eggs one at a time mixing each egg till well incorporated.
    eggs
  • Add Vanilla Essence, the Caramel Syrup and the strained Rum.
    caramel to batter
  • Fold the Dry Ingredients into the batter in three batches gently without knocking the air out from the eggs.
    fold dry ingredients
  • Add the Orange Juice and fold the dry fruits at the end.
    orange juice and fruits
  • Transfer the cake batter into the tin and level it out with a flat spatula or back of a spoon. Decorate with dry fruits or nuts at the top if you wish.
    BAKE @180C for 55-60 MINS Or Till a Toothpick inserted Comes Clean.
    bake
  • Once cake is baked and still hot, poke few holes with a toothpick and pour 1-2 Tbsp of the leftover Rum all over the cake. Allow the cake to cool down completely.
    feed
  • Demould the cake and wrap it in a parchment paper first, then wrap it tight with a Cling Wrap. Lastly Wrap it with an Aluminum foil and keep it stored in an airtight container either at room temperature or refrigerated. Due to the alcohol, this cake can be kept at room temperature if stored properly. ย Be careful while wrapping the cake should not come into direct contact with the aluminum foil directly as alcohol doesn't react well with aluminum.ย 
    wrap
  • Feed the Cake once every week with Rum and again wrap it back the same way. A Rum cake tastes best the longer it is kept.
    keep feeding
  • This cake tastes best after feeding it with alcohol after atleast an week or two. So bake it ahead, store it properly and keep it moist by brushing with rum every once a week.
    rum loaf cake

Video

Notes

Place the wrapped cake in an airtight container. Keep it on the kitchen counter in a cool and dry corner away from sunlight or keep refrigerated. Due to alcohol, the cake has a high longevity. I usually keep it at room temperature first few days and later store it in the refrigerator. Be sure to feed it with alcohol every once a week to keep it moist and not letting it go bad. A Matured cake kept this way for weeks tastes the best.
ย 
The choice of dry fruits matter a lot in the taste of the cake, i like to use dried cranberries and black raisins in more qty in compared to the other berries. These gives a rich taste without making the cake too sweet. Using Prunes and dried blueberries also gives a wonderful taste. Use candied ginger and orange peel to balance the sweetness. I omitted tutti frutti as i dont like the taste but you can add if you want to. Instead i opted for Apricot, Dried Kiwi and Glazed Cherries for some color.
ย 
Try to chop the dry fruits into small bits for a good texture and taste. I personally do not like biting into whole raisins or dry fruits in a cake slice so i take care in chopping them small. It also helps in releasing their natural juices out.
ย 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @theartisticcook on Instagram and hashtag it #theartisticcook . I would love to see it. Feel free to ask me any doubts.

Did you try my Soft Vanilla Sponge Cake recipe? Do check it out Vanilla Sponge Cake

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