The Most Authentic Home Baked Christmas Cake Recipe Ever!

What is Christmas without a few delicious cakes? In fact, many people would say that Christmas is nothing without a slice of cake. The Christmas cake is a one of a kind recipe that has been handed over through years of customs and traditions, each adding their own ingredients and flavours to the mix. However, there is one recipe that sticks close to the authentic list and produces one of the best tasting cakes for the season.

So, if you’re looking for an authentic and delicious recipe to bake this Christmas season, look no further!

Cakes & Christmas? What’s The Connection?

When the British empire came to India, it brought with itself a number of traditions and customs that linger around till date.One of those traditions is cake mixing during the Christmas season. Originally called the Twelfth Cake, the Christmas cake was traditionally  served during the Twelfth Night celebrations that ended the 12 days of Christmas on January 5th. And these baked goods actually started out as fortified fruitcakes, more like an Italian panettone.

Historically, It began in the Middle Ages as plum porridge, a rather unsavory formula  of boiled beef mixed with bread, oats, spices, dried fruit and wine. It was actually known as “Hackin” because of the number of ingredient  included. The roots are most definitely religious, the plum porridge was made to cover the stomach after a day of fasting, and the spices were meant to represent the spices worn by the 3 Kings of nativity. The mixture was then further concentrated with sweet ingredients and turned into plum pudding. In the 16th century, oats were eliminated and replaced by butter, flour and eggs; this held the mix together and eventually became the Christmas cake.

The Most Authentic Christmas Cake Recipe

While there are a million recipes to bake a christmas cake, the one we bring, gives you one of the most authentic christmas cakes that are baked each year across households in India that celebrate this day. 

The recipe is simple and the ingredients are readily available, it is however the steps that decide the texture and taste of the cake. Let’s Begin!

Prep Time: 20 mins

Soak Time: Overnight (optional)

Bake Time: 40-45 mins

Quantity: 3 Cakes (7 Inches X 3.5 Inches)

Soak the following overnight in Rum or Brandy. However, this is totally optional and these can be used without soaking as well.

1. 50g Candied Cherry
2. 50g Candied Orange Peel
3. 15g Candied Ginger
4. 50g Raisins
5. 50g Currants
6. 20g Tutti Frutti

Ingredients

1. 250g Room Temperature Salted Butter (the salt brings out the overall flavour of the cake)
2. 250g Fine Breakfast Sugar
3. 5 Eggs (Room Temperature)
4. 250g All Purpose Flour (maida)
5. 100g Walnuts (broken into nail size bits)
6. 50g Cashew (broken into nail size bits)
7. 2 Tablespoon Vanilla Essence
8. 1 Tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (for colour)
9. ¼ Teaspoon Fine Garam Masala (gives the classic fruit cake aroma)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
2. In a stand mixer, add the butter. Whisk it on medium for 5 minutes.
3. Gradually add the sugar while whisking constantly on medium high speed. The mixture will turn fluffy as the butter and sugar are whipped together.

This is one of the most important steps in making the cake. Surely it  takes a bit of time & patience but helps give the cake the desired texture.

4. Gradually add the eggs and let the mix whip for another 2 to 3 minutes till the eggs are completely incorporated.
5. Add the vanilla essence.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients – Maida, cocoa powder,garam masala. It is important to sieve these ingredients in order to mix them properly and avoid any lumps in the final mixing.

Folding The Batter

Now, we do the final mixing which is also called “Folding” of the cake batter. 

1. Pour the wet batter into a large bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to it while folding the mix on top of itself to incorporate as much air as possible between each fold.
2. Remember, we don’t wanna stir the mix, rather fold it on itself using hands or a flat spatula.
3. Once the dry ingredients are almost mixed, strain the soaked fruits and add those to the mix along with the dry fruits.
4. You can also add some of the rum that you used to soak the fruits in.
5. Pour the batter into the baking molds lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake at 180 degrees celsius for about 40 minutes.
7. Poke a knife in the cake,if it comes out clean,the cake is fully cooked.

Once baked, let the cakes cool for a while before cutting into slices and enjoying the soft warm cakes with a cup of hot tea or coffee!

Season’s Greetings Everyone!