Kerala Fruit Cake
 
 
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Ingredients
  • For Soaking
  • ¼ cup pistachio
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • ¼ cup pecans
  • ¼ cup almonds
  • ¼ cup dried strawberries
  • ½ cup mixed golden and black raisins + prunes
  • 6 dates
  • 6 apricots
  • 1½ cups dark rum
  • For the Caramel Sauce
  • 1¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup hot water
  • For the Cake
  • 2½ cups flour
  • 240 grams soft butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tsps baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp ginger powder
  • ½ tsp cinnamon powder
  • ¼ tsp clove powder
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup hot water
Instructions
  1. To prepare the soaked fruit, chop all fruit and nuts roughly and put in a jar. Pour the rum over the fruit. Make sure they are all drenched with the liquor. Cover jar and leave in a cool dark spot for a month.
  2. To prepare the caramel sauce, in a non stick deep pan, melt the sugar on medium fire. Do not be daunted by the task of making caramel, it really is very simple. You need to stir the sugar every now and then. It will first form clumps and then start to melt. At this point do not leave it for a second and stir continuously. Once there are no lumps, add the hot water. Be careful as the sugar will sputter because of how hot it is. The sugar may become lumpy but continue to stir, lower the heat to low and let it melt in the water. Once its a smooth mix, turn of the heat and set aside to cool.
  3. To prepare the cake, preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
  4. Sieve the dry ingredients, the flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt twice and set aside.
  5. Beat the butter with the sugar till light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks only one by one. Add the vanilla extract and the cooled caramel sauce and mix till it is smooth creamy mixture.
  6. Add the ¼ cup hot water to the pan in which you made the caramel sauce. Let any left over caramel dissolve into the water and then pour this mixture into the butter-egg mixture. Mix again. Slowly add the dry ingredients and blend in.
  7. Drain the rum soaked fruits and nuts. Don't throw away the rum left over.
  8. Fold in the fruits and nuts into the batter.
  9. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites till soft peaks form. Fold in the egg whites gently.
  10. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tins or bundt form and bake in the oven for 50 - 55 minutes or till a wooden skewer comes out clean.
  11. Let cool completely before pouring the leftover rum on the cake.
Recipe by Box of Spice at https://boxofspice.com/2015/02/kerala-fruit-cake/