Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake From Scratch | Both Non alcoholic and Rich Rum Versions!

I am really feel happy this year since I got a chance to make Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake one with rich rum soaked dry fruits and another non-alcoholic version for kids with dry fruits soaked overnight in fresh orange juice. For last minute fruit soaking or no soaking methods do check my detailed recipe link HERE so you can get a clear idea before baking the cake. Also these Christmas cakes are neither not too fruity nor
less in count as I used moderate in the cake batter. They tasted divine since I made a small ramekin separately to taste it before hitting this post :-). This is my first attempt with alcohol soaked cake, and I have one more version with no alcohol and no soak method, check the recipe HERE. In each and every bite I relish the fruits and nuts with the aroma of fresh homemade spices. Have a fabulous Christmas and New Year with family and friends also if you try don’t forget to leave your valuable feedback in the comment section below 🙂

Since I am looking / waiting for the bright sun to peep out to get good pictures, I will update the sliced cake pictures later in 2 or 3 days…Currently I am sharing 2 or 3 pictures clicked in phone for the time shake. Also I felt, only coordinating the dry fruits and making it ready for the cake is bit time consuming compared to cake batter preparation.

Yields 1 – Bundt Pan or height increased 8 inch cake pan

Recipe Source :- Own

Ingredients for Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake

All Purpose Flour – 2.5 Cups (300 Grams)
Coarsely Powdered Almonds/Almond Meal – 3/4 Cup (mine is blanched and powdered at home)
Soaked Fruit Mix – 750 grams
Unsalted Butter – 2 sticks (1 cup or 227 grams, Room
temperature)
Eggs – 4 Numbers (If using Large size then 3.5 is fine)
Cinnamon Powder – 1tsp (mine is store bought)
Homemade Cloves, Cardamom and Dry Ginger – 1.5tsp (dry fried and powdered with 2 tbsp sugar)
Dark Brown Sugar – 150 grams (If you are skipping caramel syrup then increase another 75 grams)
Baking Soda – 1/2tsp
Baking Powder – 1.5tsp (I always use double acting chemical agents that available in US)
Salt – 1/2tsp
Mix of Orange and Lemon Zest – 2tsp
Vanilla Extract – 1tsp
Caramel Syrup – made from 1/3 cup of sugar –> yields 2 to 2.5 Tbsp (for that add sugar in heavy hot pan, on and off stir them with a tbsp of water. At one stage they turn super dark.in color, before removing from flame add 2 tbsp of boiling water to it, refer step 2 picture below).
Orange Juice – 2 Tbsp (Skip this for juice soaked fruits, refer notes)
The leftover fruit soaked alcohol (optional) – 1 Tbsp

Pan preparation

Non sticks pans can be used as it. The other baking pans needs to be greased with butter then 2 or 3 layers of parchment on the bottom and sides as shown in picture.
Also I arranged blanched almonds first on Bundy pan and then added the cake batter to it,to get the below effect.

Preparation

• Strain the soaked fruits using strainer, keep aside.
• Mix all dry ingredients including spice mix in a clean dry bowl.
• Take a half cup of dry flour mixture and mix it to the soaked fruits.
• To the dry ingredients mixture now add almond meal mix well and keep them aside.
• Take another mixing bowl, add room temperature butter and brown sugar in it.
• Beat them well till it turn soft and fluffy.
• Add room temperature eggs one at a time to the butter mixture.
• Now add caramel syrup and vanilla extract, orange juice(all the wet ingredients) to the batter, keep mixing.

• Now gradually add dry ingredients in batches.
• At one stage the batter looks like this shinny and fluffy.
• Now add the fruit peels/zest and soaked fruits.
• Now using spatula gently mix them from bottom to top.

• In prepared pans drop the batter, level it and bake them in preheated oven at 325 F for first 1 hour and next 30 minutes at 300 F.
• If needed you have to bake them at same 300 F till skewers comes out clean.
  
• Once out from oven when they are still warm just apply fruits soaked liquid if any left.
• Let them cool for hours or so on a wire rack to cool completely.

• Now its storing time for the cake to mature, seal them tight using cling wrap and then tightly with aluminum foil…

• I am going to let it for 3 days till Christmas, so when you want to store more than that, need to brush them with rum weekly once and then wrap it back.
• Store them in cool and dark place, which is preferable.