As Christmas is just around the corner, try this traditional Plum Cake popular as Christmas Cake with Chef Varun Inamdar only on Get Curried.

When an occasion knocks on your door, then it is always advisable to welcome it with a certain degree of passion. As Christmas is just around the corner, try this traditional plum cake which is great as a dessert with a dollop of ice cream or works prefect with your evening tea too. Cheers!

Ingredients

250 gms Maida
250 gms softened butter
250 gms powdered sugar
4 eggs
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup citrus peels
1/2 cup prunes, chopped
1/2 cup black sultanas seedless (soaked in 1/4 cup orange juice)
1/2 cup raisins (soaked in 1/4 cup orange juice)
1 tbsp spice mix

For the spice mix
1 tbsp cloves
1 tsp black pepper
3-4 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
2 nos 1 inch stick cinnamon
½ nutmeg
2 blades of mace
1 small star anise
½ tsp fennel seeds

Royal Icing
60 grams egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups (330 grams) icing sugar sifted

Gumpaste
220 gms Icing sugar
30 ml water
1/2 tsp gelatin
1/2 tsp golden syrup
Bloom gelatin in water.

Add golden syrup. Heat for 30 seconds or till the mixture becomes clear. Pour over sieved sugar. Knead into a soft pliable play dough like ball. Color as required.

Method

- In a large bowl, mix butter and powdered sugar together.
- Keep adding eggs and cream the mixture well.
- In another bowl, sieve flour and baking soda well.
- Similarly sieve raisins and black sultanas that are soaked in orange juice. Add this to the flour mix.
- Also add citrus peels and mix them well.
- Add dry seedless plums and mix well.
- Once the fruits are coated with the flour, mix them in the wet mixture.
- Add the remaining juice from the soaked raisins and sultanas.
- Add the fresh spice mix in to the batter and mix well.
- Apply oil to the cake mold and also dust it with flour.
- Place the batter in the cake mold.
- Bake it for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Roll the colored balls in to thin disk and cut them in leaves shape.
- Shape the leaves with the help of sponge so as to make it look natural.
- Like leaves, shape berries as well.
- Allow the cake to cool down completely.
- Once the cake is cooled, its time for frosting.
- Frost the cake evenly.
- Decorate as per your choice and creativity.
- Time to indulge in delicious plum cake!

For Spice Mix

- In a grinder add fennel seeds, star anise, black pepper, cloves, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and mace.
- Grind it in to a powder.

For Royal Icing

- Whisk the egg whites in a bowl and add icing sugar to this.
- Add lemon juice and keep whisking the icing sugar in to the mixture simultaneously.
- The royal icing is ready. Keep it under a damp cloth till its ready to use.