Plum cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. People ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. Soon dried fruit, spices and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually it turned into Christmas pudding. In the 16th century, oatmeal was removed from the original recipe, and butter, wheat flour and eggs were added.
These ingredients helped hold the mixture together and in what resulted in a boiled plum cake. Richer families that had ovens began making fruit cakes with marzipan, an almond sugar paste, for Easter. For Christmas, they made a similar cake using seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic eastern spices brought by the sailors. This cake became known as ‘Christmas plum cake’.
Christmas day always reminds me of the rich food and sweets which I prepare every year for my guests. Plum cake is the most popular among all the dishes. It is made with chopped candied fruits, dry fruits, nuts and spices soaked in choice of fruit juice. After baking, the cakes are heavily garnished and decorated using icing. Plum cakes are made in many different ways, but generally they are variations on classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened, unleavened, etc. They are made in many different shapes, with frosting, glazing, and dusting of confectioner’s sugar or served plain.
Plum cake
Ingredients
Butter unsalted 150g
Sugar 120g
Egg 4 no
Flour 120g
Mixed fruits 500g
Baking powder ½ tsp
Icing sugar to garnish
For fruit mix
Almond 100g
Pistachio 100g
Cashewnut 100g
Walnuts 100g
Raisin 100g
Black currant 100g
Figs 100g
Dry red cherry 100g
Dry papaya 100g
Orange peel 50g
Lemon peel 50g
Ginger peel 50g
Nutmeg powder 1tsp
Cinnamon powder 1tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp
Ginger powder 1tsp
Fruit juice 500ml
Method
To make the fruit mixture, combine all the ingredients in a clean dry bowl and mix well.
Keep it covered in an airtight container for a week to allow the fruits to soak juice.
Sift flour and baking powder together and keep aside, pre heat the oven at 180 degree C.
Cream together butter and sugar till dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add eggs one by one and continue to whisk.
Add the prepared fruit mixture and flour and gently mix.
Once the mixture is ready, grease a cake mould with butter and pour the prepared mixture in it.
Bake for 30- 35 minutes or until a knife dipped in cake comes out clear.
Remove from mould and allow to cool.
Decorate with desired garnish or sprinkle with icing sugar.
Um Ali (Ali’s mother)
A mouthwatering Arabian dessert which requires less effort and is suitable for any occasion with a sweet, nutty taste and texture. It’s healthy and rich — based on milk, cream and nuts. And good to enjoy in all seasons. This dessert is considered to be originated from Egypt. The story of origin of this dessert goes like this. A young boy named Ali asked his mother for food at late in the night. All the prepared food was over and the only leftover were bread and milk. So the mother boiled milk with bread and added some sugar and nuts to make a wholesome meal for his son.
Ingredients
Puff pastry 200g
Milk 2 cup
Sugar 2 tbsp
Butter 2 tbsp
Pistachio 1 tbsp
Pine nuts 1 tbsp
Coconut powder 1 tbsp
Raisin 1 tbsp
Dairy cream 1 cup
Fruits to garnish
Method
Bake the puff pastry till light and puffed and keep aside.
Whip dairy cream till light and fluffy.
Combine milk, sugar, butter and bring to boil in a heavy bottom pan.
Crumble the puff pastry and add in the portion bowls.
Sprinkle coconut powder, pistachio and raisins on each bowl.
Pour the milk in portion bowls, leave space for cream.
Fill the whipped cream in a piping bag and cover each bowl.
Bake in a pre-heated oven or salamander till the cream turns light brown.
Be careful at this step as the cream can get over burnt very fast.
Remove from oven garnish with seasonal exotic fruits and serve immediately.
Note: you can also use left-over croissants from previous day instead of puff pastry.
* Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to:
[email protected]
