Christmas Cake

Recipe by Gulab Panjibai

Ingredients:

• 2-½ c All purpose flour
• 12 oz [3 sticks] Butter
• 1-½ c Sugar
• 6 Eggs
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 1-½ tsp Vanilla
• 2-½ c Raisins
• ½ c Mixed fruit *
• ¼ c Almonds [sliced]
• 1-½ tsp Garam masala **
• 6 Tbsp Rum / wine
• 1-½ c sugar & 1 c water (for Caramel)

*Prefer to use diced citron and red cherries instead of mixed fruit, diced finely.
** Garam masala to be made with 6 cloves, 6 cinnamon sticks ¼” each, ¼ nutmeg; or ½ tsp of each ground spice.

Method:

1. Soak raisins, mixed fruit, almonds in rum / wine overnight.
2. Beat eggs thoroughly. Add sugar, butter [softened, not melted], vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Mix flour, garam masala, baking powder. Sprinkle a light dust of it over the soaked mixed fruit. Add the rest to the egg mixture and beat till smooth.
4. Make caramel by boiling sugar and water together until coffee brown and thick. Set aside. Be careful of smoke and bubbles that may burn your hands.
5. Cool slightly to settle the bubbles. [Do not let cool completely, as it will caramelize into crystals.] Add to the cake mix. Beat with mixer until smooth.
6. Then gently fold in remaining ingredients together.
7. Pour the entire mix into a lined [buttered and floured] 13”x5”x2” pan.
8. Bake in preheated oven at 325 º F for 45 minutes.
9. Test for doneness. Remove. Cool on rack.