Jingle bell jingle bell jingle all the way!
Christmas is a festival of light, joy and great foods. That is why, the festival is celebrated by people of different faiths. Despite being a Hindu by birth and an atheist by choice, I always look forward to this wonderful festival to enjoy unlimited fun and a great gastronomical experience.
Christmas means cakes. Though many Kolkatans love visiting Nahum in season and out of season, Christmas is the most special time to enjoy delicious cakes.
These days, a variety of cakes is available at the celebrity cake shops as well as street corners. Buying custom cakes from the reputed cake designers’ creations has become a trend these days as it allows you to get a cake the way you like it to be. You will have a say about how it will look and taste. The cakemaker will take a note of your specifications and make the best effort to meet your expectations.
Sometimes, the cake designers design a cake on their own with or without inputs from you. They just make sure that the final product tastes divine and goes with the spirit of this great festival.
History of Christmas Cakes
Christmas cake has a long tradition originated in England. The English tradition started with ‘Plum Porridge’, a rich cake made with golden raisins as well as raisins soaked in rum and moist currants. Christmas cakes with icing on the top are also popular with desert-lovers. Such cakes are often decorated as fir trees, models of houses and even Father Christmas.
Whisky Dundee is another favorite Christmas cake which is a part of Scottish Christmas Celebration. Made with Scottish Whisky, the cake was originated in Dundee. Made of raisins, cherries, sultanas and currants, it is a crumbly and light cake.
In the United Kingdom, another type of cake is served with traditional Christmas cake during the festival. This cake is called ‘Chocolate Log’. It is basically a swish roll that resembles a log and coated with chocolate.
In the United States, fruitcakes are favorite gifts during the Christmas time. However, these are not called Christmas Cakes though in Canada, these cakes are known as Christmas Cakes, especially among the English-speaking people.
In India, traditional Christmas Cakes are fruit cakes available in many variants. Allahabadi Cake is very popular for its rich texture and taste. Many traditional Christian bakeries use rum in cake making.
Dundee Cake Recipe
On the eve of Christmas, I am sharing with my beloved readers the Dundee Cake Recipe to try out and tease the taste buds of your family members, friends and guests.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour – 350gm
- Caster Sugar – 225gm
- Butter – 225gm
- Powdered Almonds – 100gm
- Marmalade – 25gm
- Eggs – 5
- Whole Almonds – 10-15
- Orange Zest
- Apricot Zam
- Tutti Frutti
- Dried Fruit
- Rum
How to Prepare
- Pour the powdered almonds into a bowl. Pour boiling water into the bowl to cover the almonds. Leave it for 5 minutes before draining through a sieve. Leave almonds to dry.
- Preheat your micro oven at 170 degree Celsius. Beat the butter in a large bowl until butter gets soft.
- Add sugar to the bowl and beat until the mixture gets fluffy and light. Use apricot jam and orange zest; stir lightly.
- Sieve flour and baking powder together. Add the eggs to the fluffy mixture of butter and sugar. Make sure to add the egg one by one and beat well before each addition. Use a little flour if the mixture starts curdling.
- Add the remaining flour and mix well. Add ground diamonds. Add dried fruit and tutti frutti; mix gently.
- Take a tin and grease its bottom and sides with butter. Pour the mixture into it. Use the back of a spoon to level the spread. Sprinkle the whole almonds all over the top. Put it in the oven and bake it for 45 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 160 degree Celsius and leave the cake in the oven for another 60-80 minutes. Insert a paring knife or toothpick into the cake after 50 minutes; if it comes out clean, your cake is ready. Check every 10 minutes as it’s important not to overcook the cake.
- After it is done, take the cake out of oven. Pour sugar syrup and rum into a small pan. Heat the pan gently until the sugar gets dissolved. Brush the mixture over the top of the cake and place the cake back into the oven for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the cake and let it cool in the tin. After the cake becomes cold, remove it gently from the tin. It is now ready to serve!
We encourage you to write for us and share good recipes to make every day more special for our near and dear ones. Merry Christmas to Our Readers!
