And Since its Christmas - Easy Light Fruit Cake

Its Christmas

Hii..
One of the major advantages of being born and brought up in Delhi (and also in a Colony for Government officials) is that we get to interact with such a variety of people from all over India.. There is never a dull or repetitive moment throughout the year because one of your neighbours is always celebrating some festival and you too get to participate.. I still remember gorging on Mithai's at my Punjabi friend's house on Diwali, celebrating Dashami with a grand dinner at a fellow Bengali neighbour, savouring delicious Mutton on Eid at a Muslim friend's place and so on..
Every festival became an integral part of our lives..And on Christmas, Baba and Maa used to make sure we get to eat the yummiest cakes at home or from the market!!

And thankfully me n N also make sure we continue with the tradition of enjoying as many festivities as possible..So this year I decided we are not going to buy a plum cake for Christmas instead I ll bake a Fruit Cake at Home. Yes and I did just that and believe me the reaction on N's face when he took the first bite was totally worth it!

Christmas Cakes usually requires weeks of effort but as you know the lazy bones that I am I couldn't imagine putting in that much effort. And the internet has something for everyone's needs, so I found this recipe in 'Joy of Baking' for a light fruit cake which can be baked and savoured on the same day.

So this Christmas is definitely extra special for us cause I baked my 1st Christmas Cake..here goes the recipe



LIGHT and EASY FRUIT CAKE

Makes: 1 Loaf ( 9 x 5 x 3 inches Cake)

Ingredients

1 cup (200 grams) candied red or green cherries/tooti frooti (cut into quarters)

1/2 cup (50 grams) raisins

2-3 tablespoons  rum, brandy, or sherry (optional)

1/2 cup (120 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup (120 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (50 grams) ground almonds (almond meal/flour)
20 sliced almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoons salt

Zest of one small lemon (outer skin)

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk (whole or reduced fat)

NOTE: If desired, in a bowl combine the candied cherries, and raisins. Stir in the alcohol, cover, and let sit at room temperature at least a day (up to two days). Stir occasionally.

Procedure

1. I prepared the Almond Meal/flour at Home. I blanched 50 gms of Almond (boil the almonds uncovered for 2 minutes) then removed the skin and let it dry COMPLETELY for around an hour. Once the almonds are dry then I coarsely ground then into Almond meal. But make sure you donot turn it into almond butter by grinding further.

Almond Meal Preparation

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter (1-2mins)  Add the sugar and beat further until light and fluffy (around 4-5 minutes)


3.Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. (The batter might looks curdled, need not worry)

Cake Batter Preparations

4. Add the Vanilla Extract into the batter and mix well.

5. Add the candied and dried fruits, along with any juices, and beat until incorporated. Beat in half the flour mixture just until incorporated. Then beat in the milk and then the remaining flour mixture. Donot overmix.

6. When cake batter is ready , preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C), with the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Place a piece of parchment paper on the inside flat surface and flour the pan.

7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smoothen the top with a knife or spatula and, if desired, decorate the top of the cake with sliced or flaked almonds.

Placing the batter

8. Bake at 180 degrees C for about 60 - 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (If you find the cake is browning too much, cover with a piece of aluminum foil.)

9. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Cooling Off

10. The cake does benefit from being stored a day or two before serving, as this softens the outer crust and allows the flavours to mingle.

Slice it off

Wishing You All a Merry Christmas and a great festive season ahead..Thanks for taking out time to read
P.S: You are welcome to comment and send me tips to improve.