Plum Cake

With Christmas round the corner it is only fair that I share my tried and tested recipe of Plum Cake with you all.

For the fruits you should soak them in rum at least a week before baking. What I do is I soak them somewhere in  August/ September and let them be in the fridge. I always have soaked fruits in the fridge. 

I soak equal quantities of sultanas, raisins, candied ginger peel, candied orange peel, walnuts, cashew nuts, dried apricots, tuti fruity and almonds. The fruits should be completely immersed in rum.  For a first time you can start with 50 gms of each.

To  make the cake more boozy , you can prick the hot cake with a satay stick and pour some rum over it ( according to your taste) . I  personally prefer not to.

Ingredients 

All Purpose Flour                 1 1/2 cups

Oil                                     1/2 cup

Brown Sugar                       3/4 cup tightly pressed

Eggs                                   3

Baking pd                           1 tsp
Baking soda                        1/2 tsp
Mixed spice pd                   1 tsp
Cinnamon pd                      1/2 tsp
Mixed fruits soaked in rum   1 1/2 cup

For caramel
Sugar                                3 tbsp
Water                               1tbsp + 1 tbsp rum

Method :

1. Grease and flour an 8" round pan. Line the bottom and sides with baking paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius . Once you put the cake cake batter in , reduce the temp . To 160 degrees Celsius.
3. Measure the fruits and keep them in a sieve placed over a bowl so that all the excess rum can drain out. Use a tbsp of this rum for making caramel and the remaining pour back into soaked fruits.
4. Sieve APF , baking pd, baking soda , cinnamon pd and mixed spice pd and keep it aside.
5. In a large bowl beat sugar and oil using a hand blender for a 2 minutes.
6. Add eggs one by one and beat well after each addition.
7. Add the caramel. Beat well.
8. Mix the fruits with the dry ingredients.
9. Gradually add the fruits and dry ingredients mix to the wet ingredients, beating slowly till everything is incorporated properly.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 50-60 minutes.
11. Check after 50 minutes.
12. Each oven takes different time.
13. Let it be in the pan for 10 minutes.
14. Cool it completely on a wire rack before slicing it.

To make the caramel :

1. Heat sugar in a deep pan on low heat.
2. Slowly the sugar will melt and start turning golden on the edges.
3. Now keep a hawk's eye on the sugar. Don't stir.
4. When it turns dark golden. Remove from fire and care fully add water and rum. Mix well so that you get smooth and uniform caramel. Keep it aside