Last Minute Christmas Rum Plum Cake
This is a Last Minute Rum Plum Cake recipe that requires no pre soaking the fruits for days in Rum yet so full of flavors.
Ingredients
Last Minute Christmas Rum Plum Cake
- 1/2 Cup | 60gm Black Raisins
- 1/2 Cup | 60gmΒ Dried cranberries
- 2 Tbsp Golden raisinsΒ
- 6 Tbsp Mixed FruitsΒ (2 Prunes, 3 Glazed Cherries, 1 Dried Kiwi, 1 Apricot)
- 1/4 Cup Orange Juice ( I used packaged orange juice)
- 1/2 Cup Dark Rum ( I used Old Monk Rum)
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- 3/4 Cup | 150gm Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Water
- Lemon juice 1 TspΒ
- 1/2 Cup Water
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- 1 1/2 Cup | 180gms All Purpose Flour
- 3/4 Tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 Tsp salt
- Powdered spices(1/2 Tsp cinnamon, 1/4th TSP each of dry ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, clove powder)Β
- 2/3 Cup | 150gms Unsalted Butter
- 3/4 Cup packed | 150gm Dark Muscovado/Brown Sugar add 1 Cup if you like more sweetness in cakes
- 3 Eggs
- 1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
- 1/2 Cup Caramel Syrup
- Soaked Dry Fruits
- 1 Tsp Orange zest(fresh orange skin) - OptionalΒ
- 1 Tbsp Mixed Berry jamΒ
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Honey
- 1/2 Cup chopped Nuts( I used Cashews, Almonds, Pistas)
Instructions
- Grease and line an 8 inch round pan with parchment paper. Dust the sides with flour or place parchment paper on the sides as well. Always prepare your baking tin ahead of making the batter. That way the batter does not sit idle for a long time and will have a perfect texture.
- Mix the Berries with Orange Juice and Rum. Warm the mixture slightly. Cover & keep Airtight at room temperature overnight. Next day, Strain the soaked dry Fruits, reserve the juices for feeding later.
- Sieve together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt & spices
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Beat butter till smooth. Ensure the butter is at room temperature only. 20mins out of the refrigerator usually works for me. Too Loose then your batter will be runny and will need a longer time to cook. Too Thick, your crumb will be dense.
- Add dark muscovado sugar, remove any hard lumps before beating with the butter. Beat till creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla essence, caramel syrup, honey & Jam.
- Fold in the dry ingredients in three batches. Add the soaked dry Fruits and chopped nuts. I reserved some soaked dry fruits for toppings to be used later. Batter is ready!
- Transfer the cake batter into the greased 8 inch tin and level it out with a flat spatula or back of a spoon. Decorate with the reserved dry fruits or nuts at the top if you wish.BAKE @180C for 55-60 MINS Or Till a Toothpick inserted Comes Clean. Cover with an Aluminum foil after 45mins of baking to prevent burning at the top surface. Due to the caramel syrup, the top browns faster in a plum cake.Β
- Poke few holes at the top and Drizzle with the juice from the soaked fruits while the cake is still Hot.Β This ensures that the cake absorbs it well. Cover and Allow the cake to cool down completely.
- 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. Β 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.Β
- 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
For soaking, use packaged Orange juice that does not have soda in it. Ensure it is not sour.Β
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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. A Matured cake kept this way for weeks tastes the best.
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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 dry fruits give a rich taste without making the cake too sweet. Using Prunes and Glazed cherries also gives a wonderful taste. Use candied ginger and orange peel to balance the sweetness. As it was a last minute recipe, i didnt add the candied ginger and peels. 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.
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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.