Traditional Christmas Fruit / Plum Cake

You need
1. unsalted butter – 250 gm softened
2. light brown sugar – 1 cup (This can be replaced with 250 gm powdered sugar)
3. eggs – 4
4. juice and zest of one orange
5. soaked dry fruits – 2.5 to 3 cups
6. all-purpose flour – 250 gms (2 cups will do) + 2 tbsp(for dusting the dry fruits)
7. baking powder – 1 tsp
8. Salt – 1/4 tsp
9. cinnamon powder – 1 tsp
10. ginger powder – 1 tsp
11. caramel syrup – check below
12. Nuts (Almonds, cashews, walnuts) – 100 gm , chopped

You have to

Prerequisites

I. To make Caramel

a. Take a bottom thick pan
b. Spread 1/2 cup of sugar and add 1/2 tbsp of water
c. Heat the sugar in slow flame. Once the sugar starts burning and slowly swirl the pan(avoid using spoon)
d. Add water little by little to maximum 1/4 cup of water.
e. Allow to cool down. We should use cool caramel while mixing.
f. If at all the syrup is very thick add few drops of water to lighten it

III. Dust the soaked dried fruits with 2 tbsp all purpose flour, which we kept aside

IV. Preheat oven to 180 degree C

V. Mix the cake 

1. Seive Flour, cinnamon powder, ginger powder,salt and Baking Powder 2-3 times and keep aside
2. Separate the Egg white and yellow.
3. Beat the egg white till it turns snowy
4. In the bowl of your electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add the egg yolks(one at a time), flour, Orange juice, caramel alternatively and mix well.
6. Add in the zest and egg whites and fold in till no white lines(egg white) are visible
7 Add the dusted dry fruits, nuts and fold in
8. transfer this to the cake tin
9. Bake for 30 minutes to 40 minutes until a long skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
10. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Slice and serve. You can dust some castor sugar over the cake

If you like the alcoholic flavor,
1. Make hole on the surface of the cake using skewer and brush little brandy
2. And completely wrap in a plastic sheet followed by a foil
3. You can do this process once or twice a week (If you are making this 2-3 weeks in advance of Christmas

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!!