Rich Fruit Cake
Ingredients
1. Dates-3 cups
Raisins-2 cups
Preserved Cherries- 2 cups
Broken nuts-2 cups
Orange and Lemon peel- ½ cup
Tutty fruity- 1 cup
Chopped fruits fine. Soak them in the alchohol along with the nuts and peels and keep in an air-tight container for a couple of weeks.
2. Maida -2 cup
Baking powder-2 teaspoon
Salt- A pinch
Powdered spices- 3 teaspoons (Cardamom, cloves Cinnamon, Nutmug, Dry Ginger)
3. Butter-250 gm
4. Powdered Sugar- 3 cup (one cup for caramelizing sugar).
5. Eggs-6
6. Vanilla essence-2 teaspoon
7. Orange Juice- 2 Table spoon
8. Brandy/Rum- ½ cup
Method
1. Caramelise one cup of sugar.
It can be done by heating a medium sauce pan with one cup of sugar and one tablespoon of water. Stir in continuously and use only medium heat. The sugar will melt first and will turn into a dark brown caramel syrup. Reduce the fire and add half cup of water and stir well immediately before it crystallizes. Stir it well to dissolve completely and allow it to cool.
2. Pre heat the oven to 185 degree.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, spice powder together three times.
4. Mix the soaked fruits to the flour. Mix well and keep aside.
5. Beat butter and powdered sugar till light and fluffy.
6. Now add the eggs one at a time to the beaten suger-butter mixture with a teaspoon of flour after each addition.
7. Add the flour mixture alternatively with the cooled caramel and mix.
8. Add vanilla essence and Orange juice. Mix well.
9. Pour the final mix into a baking pan ( Butter the Baking pan and sprinkle some flour on it).
10. Bake it in the oven in 185 degress for 45 minutes.
11. Check by inserting a tooth pick and if it comes out clean the cake is done.
12. After taking the hot cake from the oven, immediately pour one table spoon of alchohol over it.
13. Let it cool, cut it and serve.
Photo Courtesy : Google/ images are subject to copyright