Ingredients
Method of preparation
Tips & tricks
Ingredients
- All purpose flour – 2 Cups
- Sugar – ½ cups
- Butter, room temperature – 1 cup – 226gms
- Eggs – 4 – medium
- Baking soda – 1 tsp – 3 gms
- Baking powder – 1 ¼ tsp – 5gms
- Cocoa powder – 2-3 tbsp
- Mixed fruits and nuts– 3 cups
- Rum/wine – 1 ½ Cups
- Vanilla extract/ essence – 1 tsp
- Orange zest – 1
- Spices – ¼ tsp each of powdered cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and dried ginger
- Salt – a pinch
For caramel
- Sugar – ½ cup
- Hot water – ¾ cup
For baking
- 9-inch springform pan
- Wax paper
Method of preparation
Pre-preparation:
- Soak chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds) and dried fruits (raisins, glazed ginger, glazed pine apple, tutty fruity, fried cranberries, strawberries) in rum or wine for at least 2-3 weeks. Stir them every other day so that all the fruits and nuts are equally soaked.
Preparation:
- Separate the fruits and nuts from the alcohol and keep aside. Store the remaining alcohol for further use in the recipe.
- To a pan, add ½ cup of sugar to a pan, followed by 1-2 tbsp of water with constant stirring.
- Wait till the syrup turns light brown. Turn off fire and let it cool down to lukewarm temperature.
- To 2 bowls, separate egg whites and egg yolks. Return the egg whites back to the refrigerator and whip it using a hand blender till it forms stiff peaks.
- To another bowl, sieve all the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spice powders, cocoa powder).
- To the bowl with the egg yolks, add the sugar and blend till it turns light and fluffy, followed by butter. Beat the mixture till it turns very light.
- Blend in, the vanilla extract/essence and orange zest and mix well.
- Using the folding method, fold in the sieved dry ingredients alternated by the caramel syrup.
- Fold in the egg whites, in portions and them add the soaked nuts and fruits.
- Check on for the consistency of the batter. If it looks dry and thick, adjust the consistency using the saved alcohol from soaking the dried fruits and nuts.
- The consistency of the batter should neither be too thick not too runny.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Meanwhile, prepare the 9-inch springform pan by buttering the pan and lining it with a wax paper.
- Equally spread the batter into the baking pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, till a skewer or a pointed knife inserted comes out clean.A
Tips & tricks
- Preheating the oven takes heating the oven for 10 minutes at the required temperature before moving the batter to the oven.