Sunday, December 2, 2007

Fruit Cake- A 'rich' Christmas tradition of Kerala.



Happy, happy Christmas that can win us back to the delusions
of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of

his youth, and transport the traveler back to his

own fireside and quiet home!

- Charles Dickens

Isn’t it so true..? In my case, it does not matter if it is Christmas or Onam, the festival season just takes me back to those good ole days and the clouds of nostalgia envelope me and eventually I get drowned in the waves of memories of childhood and teenage, those years I spent at home with my family…..and as much as I enjoy holiday spirit here with CJJ, I miss those family get-togethers and knowingly or unknowingly I wish for a holiday season where our house is crowded with our families and friends and our nieces and nephews running around, with lots of love and laughter…..yeah, I miss home!!!

Though growing up in a Hindu household, our parents never deprived us of enjoying the festive spirits in the air, especially during the Christmas season…….for me and my brother, it was that magical time of the year when our father would hang those colourful, glowing stars…..sometimes decorating a small tree in our garden with strands of multi-colored lights and hanging crepe paper streamers and balloons and I still remember the year where we painted a big dried branch of a tree white and placed cotton balls, to recreate the snow flakes on pine trees from our story books…..those days White-Christmas was a just a romantic picture from some unknown fairy land!!! Another cherished memory is crossing those jam-packed roads, tightly holding my father’s hand and hitting the general store for buying the Christmas cards where my father would literally lose his patience over our indecisiveness, then coming back home and writing those cards, showing our best penmanship…..oh, I just wish I could freeze those moments !!! The last two weeks prior to Christmas, we used to have some guests, our family friends and my father’s colleagues, visiting us with trademark of the season, a store bought plum cake in a soft card board box and a bottle of home made wine!!! I remember how me and my brother used to wait impatiently for them to leave and the moment they start the vehicle and leave the front gate, our ever popular 50 meter sprinting would begin to open that box and grab those pretty pink flowers placed on the white royal icing on the plum cake….as we grew old, we realized those sugar flowers were not tasty but it was the rich fruit cake underneath that icing that tasted better :) As much as I loved these fruit cakes, I could not think of celebrating Christmas without making a visit to my grandma’s house where her neighbor P aunty and S chechi used to give us the Chirstmas paltter filled with fruit cakes, cookies, doughnuts and diamond cuts and what not…….I never missed those platters and the stunning cribs, displaying scenes of nativity V chettan used to make, showing his best creativity……it was sheer fun for me watching him and his friends arranging the cribs and decorating the house with lights and glowing stars……..

I am glad and proud that atleast I have these memories to relive on! Even though I am miles away from home now, I am doing the best I can to make some memories here……celebrating Christmas with CJJ in a beautiful country, filled with festive spirits in the air, going to the church on a snowy evening and attending the midnight mass, waiting anxiously so as not to look like a stupid when those sitting next to me, would turn and say “Peace be with you” as I may not have any idea when and where it comes exactly!! For me, the charm of that Christmas eve here is just dream-like, sitting there listening to those soothing Christmas carols and getting lost in “Silent Night……Holy Night” and waking up to enjoy a White-Christmas the next day!! Am sure, 10 or 15 years from now, I will be sitting in some place and rewinding all these memories I make here, NOW!

Well, Christmas is not complete without a glass of sweet wine and piece of fruit cake and talking of fruit cake, here is a recipe that has been my loyal companion ever since I started baking. A cake that is often baked at our place irrespective of the occasion….. our family favourite recipe…. something which I owe to my wonderful friend SM who shared this recipe with me few years back and now it is my turn to share the recipe with you all and spread the joys of baking and Christmas as well :)



Ingredients: (Yields one 8-inch and one 6-inch cake)

For the Batter:
  • 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour/Maida (measure & sift)
  • ¾ cup butter at room temperature ( 1 ½ sticks)
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks at room temperature
  • 3 large egg whites at room temperature
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2tbsp wine
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
For soaking the fruits:
  • 1 cup tutti frutti (candied lemon and orange peels)
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/3 cup nuts ( mix of almonds and cashew nuts)
  • 1/3 cup dates, chopped
  • 1/3 cup glace cherries, chopped
  • 1 ½ -2 cups rum, or enough to soak all the fruits
For the Caramel:
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp water + ½ cup water
For the spice powders:*
  • 1 tsp Caraway seeds/cake jeera/Sahjeerakam/Shahjeera ( measure and powder)
  • ¼ tsp powdered nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp powdered cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp powdered cloves
  • ¼ tsp powdered cardamom
Directions:
  • Chop all the fruits into small pieces and soak them in rum or a combination of rum and sweet wine, atleast one day in advance. (Note: Soaking can be done days or weeks or months or even up to an year in advance, it will make the fruits more plump and hydrated. The fruits should be soaked thoroughly in alcohol, as in the picture shown below. Also shake the jar once in a while.)


  • Prepare Caramel by heating and melting sugar along with 1 tbsp water, until they turn dark brown. Keep swirling the pan but do not stir. When sugar is completely melted and bubbles start coming up and if it has reached the colour you want, turn off the stove and place the pan in your sink and pour ½ cup cold water to the caramel and let it come to room temperature (Note: Hot caramel can create serious burns, so make sure that you play safe and kids are not around while preparing it. Also while pouring cold water to the caramel, stand at a safe distance as it will splash in the beginning which may lead to serious burns. Caramel should be completely cold before adding it to the batter, else it will spoil the entire batch. You can prepare the caramel in advance and refrigerate it as well.)
  • Preheat the oven at 350F (180C). Prepare one 8-inch cake pan and a 6-inch pan by lining the bottoms with parchment paper, butter the paper and grease the sides and sprinkle lightly with flour.
  • Sift the flour and baking powder together.
  • In another small mixing bowl, add the egg whites and beat on medium speed until foamy, and the whites begin to look shiny and smooth and form soft peaks, when you stop the mixer and lift the whip. Note: It is important that the egg whites are beaten in a clean and dry bowl without any trace of grease/fat/water; otherwise the whites will not expand to its full volume.
  • Mix egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat well for a minute, in low-medium speed.
  • Mix butter and sugar until they are creamy and combined well. Add the beaten mixture of egg yolks and vanilla to this butter and sugar mixture, followed by wine, spice powders and caramel (1/2 cup) and beat thoroughly till everything is creamy and combined. At this stage, add the flour in small quantities and scrape down the bowl once or twice. At the end, stop the hand mixer and using a rubber spatula, fold the thoroughly beaten egg whites very gently, (Do not beat) until no white streaks are visible.
  • Finally, drain the soaked fruits and keep half a cup of soaked fruits aside; add the rest of the fruits to the batter and gently fold them into the batter. Toss the ½ cup fruits, kept aside earlier, in 1 tbsp flour.
  • Pour the batter into prepared baking pans and just before smoothening the tops, add the fruits tossed in flour and then level the top with an offset spatula, making sure that the fruits are coated with batter as well. (Note: Tossing the fruits in flour is to make sure that they spread evenly in the cake and not crowd at the bottom of the cake. You will find this contradicting in my pictures as I forgot to toss them in flour :D But do not add more than the prescribed amount as too much makes the fruits harder. )
  • Bake for around 1 hour; baking time differs depending on the pan size and the oven and hence, towards the end, if a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean without any crumbles, it shows that cake is ready.
  • Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes and later invert them onto a wire rack and let it cool completely for about 45 minutes or until they reach the room temperature. DO NOT CUT the cake at this point. Resist your temptations and double wrap the cakes using clear plastic-wraps and leave it on the kitchen counter for 4 days. On the 5th day, you can cut the cake using a serrated knife and serve with sweet red wine. This cake can be saved in the refrigerator for several weeks. (Note: It is very important that the cake should rest for 5 days for all the flavor and sweetness to set in. If you cut any day before that, you will find that the texture is not right and not all that sweet and tasty.)
Note *: I use the ready made spice powders from McCormick. If it is not available in your pantry, powder 3 cardamom, 2 small pieces of cinnamon, and 2 cloves and a small piece of nutmeg along with caraway seeds/cake jeera.

Back home in Kerala, this fruit cake is served with a glass of sweet red wine. I have already blogged the recipes for beetroot wine and pineapple wine; those interested may check out the recipes.

UPDATE: Based on few of the comments I received asking for brands of rum and wine I used, here is a small note that might help you. You can use any brand of rum for this recipe; the brand does not make any difference; I used BACARDI Gold which is available in liquor stores and some supermarkets here in US; stay away from flavored liquor. For the wine part, I used my home made wine but you can use any wine of your choice. For the soaking part, fruits can be soaked fully in rum or a combination of rum and wine, thats purely a personal choice. Hope it helps!

UPDATED ON 24th Nov, 2008: Last year, I had received lot of queries asking for the availability of tutti-frutti in US and I thought of making a small note here that it has started appearing in the baking aisles of the supermarkets and shops like, Walmart has set up an aisle specially for baking goods for the holiday season. Look for a brand called, SUN-RIPE fruit mix which is mix of candied orange and lemon peels, cherries et al. Kindly go through the recipe in detail as well as the updates and the answers I have given in the comment section of the this post as I find it repetitive to answer the same question again and again, which I have cleared for the previous readers. Still, if you have queries, please feel free to drop a line in the comment section, I am more than happy to help you :)


This rich fruit cake which is an integral part of the Christmas traditions in Kerala goes to Meeta's Traditional Feasts.

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
- Ada V. Hendricks

Related Posts:

Beetroot Wine - Sweet wine Pineapple wine Grape wine

Luv
Shn

No part of the content ( articles, photographs, recipes) of this blog may be reproduced without my written permission.Copyright © 2007-2010 Kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com. All rights reserved.

175 comments:

  1. Childhood memories are really unforgettable and always close to the heart...Miss those days!!
    Lovely cake Mishmash...will surely try it out.
    Happy Christmas to you and your family!!

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  2. i am home on vacation and the cakes have started pouring in. mom stopped making this a few years back, cuz its too time-consuming for her and anyway we get so many store-bought ones from friends.

    looks lovely!

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  3. Wow! Mishmash.....delicious looking cake....I too remember "plum cakes" from my childhood. Happy holidays to you.

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  4. lovely piece of writing and a wonderful cake!

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  5. oh god,cake looks superb, i want to try this.

    Pls clarify some of my doubts,
    Is the rum and wine is essential to make this cake? if yes what rum and wine i should buy pls tell me, is that available in small qunatity pls advice me as my husband also don'tknow about this.

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  6. *drool*

    I use a pretty similar recipe for a fruitcake, but haven't tried it with the caramel - that totally sounds like the kicker!

    You're one hell of a baker, seriously! :)

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  7. Shaheen - your write up made me so nostalgic. Though I have never been in Kerala during Christmas time, but I cherish days sitting down watching my mom & aunties make christmas goodies at home, n when I was a little grown, the enthusiasm knew no bounds when I was asked to help with either chopping the fruits, or maybe pressing to make the murukku, or dipping the achappam once in a while. Those days can never return, only memories are left, which will be cherised forever, n I am sure all of us hope to give back to our children a part of such beautiful memories which our parents gave us - your cake looks perfect, except that I really love ones with a much, much darker colour, the colour of chocolate perhaps. Do you think I can make the caramel into a much darker colour or would I need to add anythign more.

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  8. hi mish....i cannot thank you enough....i tried ur pineapple wine and to tell u the truth my husband was amazed, i promise i told him its all coz of mish. Thank you sooooo much. all your recipes are really good and photographs are amazing. you r gifted...fruit cake looks yum, but i have a doubt, me being in the middleeast (and in this country alcohol is banned : now u know why my hubby was happy)is there a substitute for rum? hope theres a solution...

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  9. hi,

    thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe, crores of thanks for such a lovely cake.

    u have explained very neately and elobaretly the steps, i have some doubts to make this cake,pls clarify- what rum i should use, is it Essence Flavour Imitation Rum or alcoloic rum. pls tell us what rum and wine do u use to bake this cake and which brand.

    i will be very happy u answer my question, waiting for your reply, i am very eager to prepare this cake

    anitha

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  10. wow., Vielen dank ..many many thanks. i was looking for a good tried and tested Fruit cake recipe for the past few weeks, am so much more confident in trying your recipe than trying something which i might have googled up from the net. I would surely let you know how it came out..thanks a ton again..and happy holidays..

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  11. WOW ! Amazing !
    :-)

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  12. Lovely Shn. The texture and the write up both are awesome. Viji

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  13. awesome lady ....excellent pic ....

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  14. Lovely Cake.. lookd Delicious as always.. Your writing is so good & love the way you bring back old memories!! I have had this cake at a friends place & Its truely heavenly & Yummy!! A glass of home made wine is the best. Thanks for wonderful recipe!!

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  15. wish you and your loved ones a merry christmas.

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  16. Wow that is what i call a reall Kerala christmas cake.
    I think it is only us in kerala who make the caramel water for the cake. Even my mom used to make this
    Look delicious and great.
    I just think the Christmas cakes back home have a aroma which we don't have here.

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  17. Shn...once again you did it.

    Loved you writing about your childhood christmas tales and the cake, ah we don't expect anything less from you, do we ?

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  18. Wow.. this cake looks too tempting and it's one that I love. Thanks for this beautiful recipe. I've not seen tutti-fruti here in the US. Any tips on where I can find them? Thanks.

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  19. Having tasted this delicious fruit cake you baked and send to me :) many thanks for that...this is a must try recipe.

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  20. I'm drooling ...l love this christmas spl plum cake especially the ones we ahve in kerala...ur temepting me dear...i was searching for this kinda cake here...love that rich aroma ok plum cake....i'm bit nervous to try myself.i'm feeling nostalgic....thanku for sharing dear...lovely writeup :-)))

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  21. Oh,Shn,...ha !it's already X'mas for u !& here I haven't even soaked the fruits...:))
    Your nice write up brougt back memories of those sweet days ...as a little girl how eagerly did I wait for X'mas season to come....to decorate the crib &x'mas tree.....&so many fond memories.....really really miss those childhood days....:(( how I wish if we could be children again..!!!

    Lovely cake,Shn!Happy X'mas to CJJ &u !
    Liz

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  22. Shn, festive seasons do bring back a lot of memories...loved reading about yours...and that is one gorgeous cake...perfect.

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  23. what a lovely cake, thanks for the recipe. can u pls tell us what bran of rum and wine did u use? also pls tell where we get tutti fruti, is any name u buy it pls tell us, I live in australia and i neven seen tutti fruiti here

    thanks in advance

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  24. amazing !! whenver i tried making cakes always a flop..but ur recipes and pics gives me inspiration...thanx
    mishmash for sharing it!

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  25. Neat read of your childhood days!

    Wish you a merry x'mas!

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  26. Hi Shn, Thank you a lot for posting this wonderful recipe! I had just soaked the tutti frutti in brandy and was planning to prepare the fruit cake recipe found on the tutti frutti tin's label. But when I read yours, I felt, nothing like our Kerala Fruit cake ! I will surely try this recipe tomorrow and let you know . Once again Thank you:) ...tc

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  27. Lovelu fruit cake.this brings me to a festive mood.Think its somewhat similar to plum cake .hmm

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  28. You are so damn good!!!! I was just wondering why I see no activity on your blog and lo... you r back with such a lovely recipe!!! Great pics as always!! Thanx for the recipe.

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  29. Lovely Mismash!! Christmas without fruit cake, Naaa!!!! Thanks for the reciepe and the festive presentation. Can't wait bake my version. I have my fruits marinated in red wine from last december, 2006. Not able to take time to bake it D.

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  30. when am reading this entry am actually eating one fruit cake..i guess its called a fruit cake here too..My Danish colleague has bought some home made cake to office!!:-)

    its just the first week and I can already smell Xmas in the air!!

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  31. Lovely cake...thanx for the recipe.i'm going to try this out for sure...is it ok if i use lemon, orange zest instead of candied one? whatz this cake jeera? is this same as shahjeers? plz lemme know...

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  32. Wow! this is looking really great.... ! thanks a lot for sharing, I am going to tring my hand on baking these days so you s is next in list now :).

    Looks like your blog is all set with holiday mood :)

    -Poojs

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  33. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am going to try it, even if not this Christmas then sometime early in the new year. It looks so moist.

    Love, love, love the memories!!!

    I too made a Christmas fruit cake that is traditional here in the Caribbean, will post about it on December 15.

    I owe you an email :)

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  34. Lovely cake for the holidays, Shn! YOur posts have such vivid imagery.....i feel them as i read them! This one is a timeless classic! Happy holidays to you and your loved ones, dear!

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  35. Sugarcraft India, Thanks a lot and wish you the same! Do let me know how it turns out for you.

    Nags,yeah, its a bit process oriented , soaking the fruits and making caramel et al...but if you do it organized and use a hand/stand mixer, its easier. Enjoy the vacation and eat all those cakes :)

    Jayashree, thanks so much and nice to have you here :)

    Anh, oh..thanks a lot, sweetie:)

    Anonymous, to get the right taste and flavour based on this recipe, I would say rum and wine is essential. Even if you dont have wine, pls make sure that you have atleast rum to soak the fruits. yes, you will get rum in small quantities, like 375ml bottles in liquor stores and some supermarkets if you re in US. You can buy any brand of rum, I used BACARDI Gold and homemade sweet wine. For the wine part, any type of wine is fine. Let me know if you need more info on this. Pls do drop a comment if you have any more doubts, as its frustrating if it doesnt taste good after taking all the effort.

    Kaykat, ohh...you should try with caramel, its gives a very nice taste to the fruit cake and makes a lot of difference too...yes, its a kicker :)

    Shella, MY MANE IS NOT SHAHEEN!!!! I dont remember the last time I tasted an achappam..you reminded me of my grandma's crispy and tasty achappams:) yes, you can make the caramel darker to get more darker shade.

    Paaru, Its quite a gratification when someone drops a comment saying that they tried and liked the recipe. So I appreciate your comment a lot. Prompt feedback is what gives all the boost :) if rum is not at all available in your place, the only option is to soak the fruits in that pineapple wine itself. If it has come out well and has got the alcoholic effect, then it is as good as rum. Hope you have some leftovers from your last batch :)

    Anonymous- Anitha, You can use any brand of rum; it doesnt make any difference. I meant alcoholic one and I used BACARDI rum and a home made wine. you can use any store bought wines of your choice. Waiting for your feedback... all the best with the cake preparation..plan and proceed.

    Anonymous, thanks for dropping by and showing so much confidence in the recipe...so have you already tried any recipes from this blog..? Do let me know how it turned out for you, I really appreciate your feedbacks. happy Holidays to you too.

    Anonymous, Thanks :)

    Vcuisine, thank you much , Viji :)

    Deepa. thank you dear :)

    Seema, I really wish and hope it turns out well for you. You can try the beetroot wine from my page, it will be ready in two week;s time, so perfect timing to bake your cake and wine too :)

    Bee, Thank you and wishing you both a very happy holidays :)

    happy cook,hmm...i have never used store bought fruit cakes here in US, so i have no idea about the aroma, caramel kicks up the whole thing, for the colour and the flavour :)

    Sandeepa, eww....am i becoming so predictable or boring ? :P

    Laavanya, tutti frutti is very much available in US as I am also staying in the same place and have been buying every year, the only thing is that most of the time its available during the holiday season only...after that it disappears most of the time....you check for SUN-RIPE fruit mix at any superstores, its a mix of candied lemon peels, orange peels, cherries et al.

    Pravs, hope you can now try this recipe at home and relish it :)

    Remya, there is no need to be nervous about baking the cake...just go thru the recipe carefully..soak the fruits earlier...make the caramel in advance....and rest will come through easily....it has a minimum guarantee if you dont make any big mess :D

    Liz, me too , rewinding the memories to those carefree life is so heartwarming.....now the best thing you can do is to make memories for your kids. Merry X'mas to you and your family as well :)

    Sunita, thank you dear.....for people like us who are away from our homes, festive seasons are more of a nostalgic one, no matter how much we enjoy here!!!

    Anonymous, Since you live in Australia, I have no idea where you will get there ....tutti -frutti will be available there for sure, but its just that they might have a different name for that...anyway , check for candied orange and lemon peels...in US, i used a brand called, SUN-RIPE fruit mix. Dont know if that info helps you. You can use any brand of rum and wine. I used BACARDI Gold and home made sweet wine. Do buzz me here, if you have more doubts.

    Chithra,try out some recipe from my blog, and I hope you like them too. A warm welcome here :)

    Rachel, thanks a bunch and wish you the same :)

    RV, I a waiting for your feedback, hopefully i will get to know by next week right :) All the best and I really wish that you like the taste :)

    Soumya, In kerala, fruit cake and plum cake are the same, atleast to my knowledge :P

    Ramya, hahah....no activity was because I got a bit lazy in between :) Hope you re happy to see some action now :) Thanks dear:)

    Rina, Oh I love it when fruits are soaked for an year...i usually soak mine immediately after New year, with all that leftover fruits :)

    Mathew, ohh...I am so glad you got to taste those homemade one during this season :) Yes, I guess its called fruit cake everywhere and European ones must be much richer than ours. Here also, X'mas season starts immediately after Thanks Giving and I enjoy this long holiday season :)

    Sindhu, To your first question, i should say, I am not sure how exactly it would turn out...generally candied lemon and orange peels are used in fruit cakes. You check for SUN-RIPE fruit mix in Walmart or any other supermarkets during this holiday season, it will be available for sure...they usually keep it along with glace cherries and dates et al...so dont skip that. Cake jeera is caraway seeds which again is available from McCormic at the spice aisle in Walmart.

    Pooja, yes me and my blog and my family is all sinking in holiday spirits. Hope the baking experiments turn out well for you. Waiting for your feedbacks :)

    Cynthia, Ohh...i would love to see the Caribbean version, looking forwards to your post. Hey, take your time and mail...no hurries :)

    Sagari, Thank you :)

    Musical, ohhhh your words just made my day :)) Hey you re busy these days.??

    Shn

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  36. hi

    thank you very much for your reply for my mail. I just enquired about candied ornage and lemon peels, i got this webstie for mixed fruit but they don't hv orange and lemon peel but they have all cheerries, sultans etc, i am sending the link to u just have a look and guide me is it ok to buy and use it for cake, pls favour me http://www.sunbeamfoods.com.au/products_mixedfruit.htm

    Regarding wine, is red or white, is sweet or bitter, which wine to use pls advice

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  37. hi

    yes u r right, after taking so much of trouble and preparing cake and if it doesn;t come good because of one ingredient it is very bad.

    pls tell us if bacardi gold rum is not availalbe which other alcholoc drink is prefered, and how many percent of alchol should be there, i am asking this because i am not finding bacardi gold but i am finding Bacardi Breezer Lime,Bacardi Breezer Orange,Bacardi Breezer Pineapple, Bacardi Breezer Watermelon is this ok which flavour, pls reply early as i need to buy and soak the and so the cake, plssssssssss

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  38. Anonymous 1, Checked out the link you gave and I find it ok as it says its a "pre-mix of Sultanas, Seeded Raisins, Currants, Mixed Peel and Glace Cherries." , So yes, go for that...In a fruit cake, you can add any dry fruit and nut of your choice and the flavour of the cake, apart from the caramel, is more or less dependant on the flavours of these dry fruits and nuts because we keep the cake uncut for 5 days and in this time frame, the flavors from the soaked fruits and caramel and spices set in fully. Since this fruit mix has citrus peels , i guess you will get that flavor too.So go ahead and use it. But if you think candies citrus peels are less compared to other fruits, then add a tsp of grated orange/lemon zest. As for the wine, I would suggest using any sweet wine, does not matter , if it is red or white, I have used both wine at various times. If you have trouble finding sweet wines, soak the fruits fully in rum and use any wine for the 2 tbsp wine suggested for the batter. Do contact me if you have me doubts...just drop a comment, I will try to respond as early as I can, Also make the caramel in advance, as sometimes, people tend to mess up there, so its better to prepare that in advance , so you have time to make one more batch incase it does not turn out well. All the best and let me know how it turns out.

    Anonymous 2, The ones you have listed here are all flavored rums and I wonder how that would affect the overall taste of the cake! It is always better to go for unflavored liquor for this recipe. I dont know in which country you reside, if you re in US, go to a liquor store and ask for this brand, they will help you find the bottle, it is quite a regular one here. Otherwise, if rum is not at all available and if there is no homemade wine too, then go for a red wine and soak the fruits. I am suggesting all these based on the recipe I have blogged, there are people who use different types of liquor for fruit cakes. Again you need not go for this specific brand, any brand of rum is ok if it is unflavored. Take the help of a liquor store assistant..thats the best thing to do. I have also used a brand called, Captain Morgan- Original Spiced rum, which also goes well with this cake.

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  39. i am new visitor to your blog, i just discovred your blog 10 mts back and i found such a lovely cake recipes and u hv explained everything very neately, any common man like me who is not at all baked cake will temp & confident to do your recipe.

    i wanted to try your cake and i started making cream first, i took 35% milk fat for whipping. i started whipping cream for around 5- 6 mts it started getting thick but then i added granulated sugar and coca powder and started beating in high for 2 mts, after that i was disappointed seeing the texture as all the water and cream fat separated and it looked like curdiling milk, i was so disappoined, why it happened like that, will u gide me pls, this is my first attempt and i failed

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  40. What a divine fruit cake we see here!!!
    Thnks for sharing this wonderful recipe, apt for the season!!!

    Happy Christmas to you and your family,Mishmash!

    P.S-I have the red wine ready here..Not a good baker though..Shall we exchange? :)

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  41. There's a running American joke about the hate of fruit cakes. (Using them to hit someone over the head like a brick or as a paperweight...) I suspect it's b/c most fruit cakes are hard as tack and tasteless as cardboard despite the avalanche of ingredients. This, however, is the sort of fruitcake one can't help but fall in love with.

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  42. Anonymous,Thanks for showing interest and welcome here :) First of all I dont know which recipe you re referring to as I dont have a cake recipe where cream and cocoa p/w and granulated sugar is whipped together!!! So assume, you were referring to some other recipe. In any case, I think the problem was overbeating the cream.Cream will turn into butter if you overbeat and also dont use granulated sugar. Use powdered sugar/confectioner's sugar and pour the cream and beat together and just beat until its all whipped up and reaches the right consistency. granulated sugar takes long time in melting ,also adding them after whipping up the cream will only result in such a bad form. if you re new to baking, follow the recipe as such.All the best :)

    Bharathy, try the cake and use that red wine ....once you make the cake, you will regret that you sent the wine to me :) I have a bottle of homemade wine from my last batch, i am using that...have fun baking :)

    Susan, hahha...I got you :) I think its mainly because , as you said there is a avalanche of dry fruits and nuts here and less of flour ....back home in kerala, fruit cakes are moist....and this one is my hubb's favourite , so it is often repeated at our place :)

    Shn

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  43. Looks perfect Shn. I have to lay my hands on some wine now to soak the fruits.

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  44. Lovely lovely fruitcake. Your post was sentimental and so fantastic. I feeled honored to have this fruitcake as part of my MM buffet!

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  45. hi,

    i was seeing your website from days and i read all your comments in each recipe and sort of solved all my doubts.

    I went for shopping yesterday and i purchased all the item for making fruit cake and black forest cake.

    i have not got sweet wine and cherry liquor, they have suggested me one area where i may get cherry liquor, so i am going there tomorrow, can u pls give me the brand name of the cherry liquor it will be easy for me to search.

    I appreciate your early reply,pls

    and one more thing if any doubt regarding particular recipe can we post our doubt in the section itself, or we hv to post in the newly added post.

    anitha

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  46. Jyothsna, thanks dear...all the best :)

    Meeta, had a doubt if my mail reached , anyway now your comment confirms that , thanks a lot :) I wish MM feast was more than a virtual one!! :)

    Anonymous- Anitha, If sweet wine is not available, go for any red or white wine, its ok. For the cherry liquor brand and details, could you pls go back to my Black Forest cake recipe? This morning I have updated the post with links for Kirsch and Dutch Process Cocoa powder, sharing the brands I have used. ALso i have given an update towards the end of the post, which will give you additional info. You can buy any brand of cherry liqour, but please make sure that the dutch process cocoa- powder you use is of a good quality one, as it plays a significant role in the taste of the cake; for more details on this, please check the updated notes towards the end of the BFC post. I prefer leaving doubts on the respective posts, as that way future readers will also be benefited. All the best and I hope you enjoy both the cakes. Pls do organised baking; if the recipe calls for room temperature, pls make sure that your ingredients are in the room temp as it does affect the texture of the cake. Do not hurry yourself. Good Luck :)

    Shn

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  47. APOLOGIES TO YOU!! I dont know why I got that impression. I thought I read it somewhere on your blog. Sorry once again!!

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  48. thaks a lot for your responses to all our queries, u r really so helpful and have lot of patience.

    i am looking out for some cherry liquor today, hopw i get it, and i am sure we don't hv get dutch process cocoa powder here (australia), i infact searched yesterday and bught some other brand.

    what is cake flour, i never found flour like that here, i even asked the store assistance, they also don't know, they have self raising flour and wholemeal flour, is this is the cake flour pls advice.

    anitha

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  49. Hi Mishmash:) you know what??? I feel like hugging you:) THANK YOU !!!! the cake is turned out super good , super sweet, super taste:) u know , i soaked the fruits for 3 days, but somehow was unsuccessful in keeping the cake for 5 days:)) it survived only upto the next day after baking, i myself cudnt resists the temptation and i neednt tell how bad my husband felt when i told him that strictly we had to control the temptation to eat it for next 5 days after it was baked :)) ...but the taste and texture was out of the world for us:) we loved it to bits and pieces:) this being my hubby's favorite cake, i was in cloud nine when it came out so well:) thank you for the recipe (P.S I have already soaked another batch of fruits yesterday:)

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  50. What a sweet, sweet post. And the fruit cake looks completely delicious!

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  51. Shella, heyyy...its ok :) no need to feel bad about it :)

    Anonymous- Anitha & TO ALL READERS FROM AUSTRALIA. Since some of you had raised doubts regarding the availability of certain ingredients, I contacted a blogger friend of mine, ANH from Food Lover's Journey , who resides in Australia and she was quite gracious to help you with some useful tips, given below:

    cake flour is available in Australia. The easiest brand to get is Anchor pastry flour for cake and biscuits. It comes in 2kg box. Available in both Woolworth and Coles and also available in special gourmet shops but it is more expensive.

    For Dutch Process Cocoa-Powder check at Essential Ingredients (they have stores in Syd and Mel), they may carry dutch cocoa powder. Or if you re in Melbourne, go to Prahran market and visit Monsieur Truffles there.

    candied lemon and orange peels (tutti frutti) are available here. Most supermarkets should have them (they call them mixed peels, and these are already coarsely minced). some of the gourmet food stores carry better products....places like the Essential Ingredients or David Jones Food Hall should have them.

    Anitha, you may check the link for substituting cake flour, if you cant find them at all.


    RV,Hugs to you too, Sweetie :) I read your comment just before going to bed last night and you can be sure that I went to sleep with a smile on my face :) Very happy to know that it turned out well for you and you guys were happy about the results. Keep baking and enjoy the cake.:) From your next batch, keep a small portion aside for 5 days and see the difference in taste and texture :) Merry X'mas:)

    Nupur, Thanks a lot and it is a delicious cake :)

    Shn

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  52. Hi Mishmash,
    I was searching for a better recipe for christmas cake and i found yours.i really liked the way u explained it and all the recipes.Thank you.I'll be a frequent visitor from now on.take care.
    Reema

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  53. Hi, thanks a lot for your help for me to find the product in Australia. I will defentely visit the essential ingredients in sydney i will let u know the result.

    But yesterday I already made shopping to make fruit cake and black forest cake. I didn't get Krisxhwasser but i got cherry flavoured cocktail brandy the link is http://www.finestdropcellars.com.au/view_product.php?product_id=662
    and one more cherry brandy what we get here is
    http://www.winehouse.com.au/ShowWines.asp?pID=32009 pls check it up and tell me if i get good cake using theis brandy.

    Again i didn't get bacardi gold but i got captain morgan rum i hv bought that and i got sweet white wine. About Tutti fruti i saw one of the annonmus had send the moxed fruit link to check for u, the same one i got it i have bouoght that too.

    i will let u know the result and my experience in baking cake.

    thanks a lot for your support and help, god bless you.

    Looking for more wonderful recipes from you.
    anitha

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  54. Wow Shn... as usual your words took me down the memory lane... thanks for the trip, and merry Xmas to you and CJJ,,

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  55. while reading ur blog i cud almost taste the cake my mum makes for xmas every year...for the first time in all these years (trying to hide my age) i am not home with folks for xmas...

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  56. what a wonderful cake, it is wonderful because it is prepared by wonderful women, whoever prepare this cake will become wonderful women, ha ha ha.

    i have read all the comments and there are so many doubts and u hv cleared everything, cool........

    i hv one more doubt, to soak mixed fruits u hv told to use wine and rum combination is it equal combination,

    and after draining the fruits from rum what we can do with that left over rum? can we reuse again for soaking again.

    aparna

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  57. Rj-Reema, I hope it turns out well for you and get the taste you wanted too.All the best and do let me know your feedback, Thanks for dropping a few lines here :)

    Anitha, the ingredients you have collected for the fruit cake sounds suitable, so go ahead and bake the cake. As for the cherry brandy & BFC cake, I dont think it will spoil the cake, its a matter of how you like the taste. I am unable to say anything on that front as I have never tasted it. Do one thing, try with all the ingredients you have and see if it works for you, and make changes on your second trial.Waiting for your feedbacks :)

    Sig, thank you sweetie and we wish you a very happy holidays :)

    Ann-series, oh thats so sad!! I hope you have some good company wherever you re and will make some pleasant memories there too. Thanks so much for dropping by and I wish I could share the cake with you! Merry X'mas !

    Aparna,you can use wine and rum in equal quantities and the soaked rum , I re-use only if the fruits have been soaked for 1-2 days , otherwise, I use fresh batch of alcohol for re-soaking. Welcome here and enjoy baking :)

    Shn

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  58. Mishmash!Those old Christmas days are really missing !Dear we also used to decorate one small ulli chamba as Christmas tree,mainly with baloons and colour paper and stars ,those 3 things were available those days in nearby shop!!
    Cake looks delicious!!

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  59. Hi Shn,
    Thank you for posting this recipe. I have a question about the soaking process. I intend to keep the fruits and nuts soaked for atleast a week. Does it matter if I use a steel/ceramic container? I don't have a large glass container and I am unsure whether rum would react with a steel container. Please advise. Thanks.

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  60. Kitchenfairy, we also had jambakka tree and i remember decorating that one year :P hey we miss u here.,..come back soon :)

    Anonymous, I am not sure about the steel containers....sorry, I have no idea. ceramic should be fine I guess.Sorry, I cant be of much help here!

    Shn

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  61. hai , i live in us .thank yu for your recipe .i already soaked my froiuts ,but i have one doubt ,i didnt get the candied orange ,but i got some candied ginger .cajn i use it?

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  62. South Carolina, I would suggest staying away from candied ginger, it would spoil the taste of the cake, unless you prefer that flavour. Generally I have not seen any kerala fruit cake recipes using candied ginger. You can check at Walmart for mixed fruit mix for candied lemon and orange peels; they have a separate section with baking ingredients, next to the grocery aisle, and this SUN-RIPE fruit mix is available in that section, you need to go before X'mas to get this, they remove this temporary aisle immediately after X'mas. You can also check at the other grocery stores.

    Shn

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  63. I made the cake and it is delicious. I just posted it today.
    Thankyou for the recipie.
    I really had such a pleasure in making this cake. Thankyou

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  64. i came in from happy cook's website after reading that the inspiration for her cake was urs..the cake look absolutely mouthwatering..and the write-up even better....

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  65. i'm trying out this cake today ... one tip is, first timers make the caramel the day before ... this allows it to really cool down and u will not risk using v hot caramel in the cake !!!

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  66. I made it and it tasted good. I didnt get the rich caramel color. Should have caramelised it bit more. Made my DH taste it and he said "EEEEEEEW it just taste like back home" It was a compliment because even if he doesnt like fruit cakes he felt that the taste was to the point. Bravo to u for recreating the exact taste. By the way you made me make thing that was time consuming , opposed to my nature. Check my blog. I have a cake for you.

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  67. I made this cake and somehow managed to wait till the fifth day to cut this. Everyday morning i woke up wanting to cut the cake so badly, but my husband didn't let me, but I think the wait was well worth it. Whoever had the cake just loved it and said it was great and am just passing on that kudos to you :). Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe & wish you and your family a merry xmas!!

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  68. Guess I 'll ve to use normal cocoa powder itself.
    I 'll be cutting the cake tmrw only...5 day deadline right ;) I 'll surely let u knw the results.

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  69. wow mishmash!perfect fruit cake.I always stay back from making this fruit cake because of one and only ingredient -Rum.Any way to substitute rum with any of the juices but get equally tasty ones.

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  70. I was looking for a fruit cake recipe and found your blog. The cake came out really great even though we could not resist temptation for 5 days! :) Thank you so much.

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  71. i had searched the net crazy trying authentic tried recipe. looks like my search as yielded wonderful results. But one query bfore i actually bake it. Normally powdered sugar and butter is creamed. you say granulated(indian one)will do? pls answer I one to try as quickly as I can. till the time u answer i will soak the fruits.
    THANKS PLS REPLY

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  72. Happy Cook, your post was a touching one and made me a bit sentimental! Very happy to know this recipe was able to bring back the taste of your childhood and glad that u enjoyed baking and eating the cake :)

    Rajitha, thank you dear....hope you had a lovely time for holidays :)

    Sb, yes thats a great tip, I had mentioned about making it in advance, I guess....so how did the cake turn out..? did u like the taste ?

    Mocha, sweetie, what your husband said was a great compliment to me and the post was a touching and beautiful gift for X'mas this time....meant a lot to me...thanks dearie :)

    Maria, Its a great feeling to get such responses from my reader...I am so happy that you and your family enjoyed the cake...should thank your hubby too for keeping u under tight leash :D Thanks a bunch :)

    Madhavi, I havent tried a purely non alocholic one, so I dont know if it will give the exact taste but you can surely soak the fruits in orange juice.

    Dhanya, thanks a lot for letting me know....and it was a beautiful X;mas gift from you readers by letting me know that you liked this recipe and cake. Thanks a lot :)

    Pradnya, you can use powdered sugar but double the quantity of sugar mentioned in the recipe....I mean if it is 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, u need to use 3 cups of powdered sugar while substituting it. Its easier to cream if you re using powdered sugar and granulated ones takes li'l extra time...but sweetness wise, you need to always double the quantity of powdered sugar if u re substituting granulated sugar with powdered/confectioner's sugar. Do let me know how it turned out for you. Thanks a lot for showing interest in my recipe. the more u soak the fruits, the tastier it is :)

    Shn

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  73. Shn:
    I left you a comment (on 28th dec, i think) in this post with few questions, and it said that comment was saved and would be visible after the blog owner approval...
    Well, i was eagerly waiting for you to come bak from your break and my fruits are already soaked for about 2 weeks... let me recollect the qestions and type again... but pls pls if you have the mail in your id (unnoticed or )... will you be able to clarify some of my asked questions. I would highly appreciate that...
    thanks a lot shn
    -KSK

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  74. KSK , please leave your email id here. I will respond to your mail.

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  75. I made the fruit cake for a Christmas party hosted by Keralites and it was a great hit! Everyone loved it! Thanks a million for such a wonderful recipe with step by step instructions! Happy New year to you and your family! Hope to see more wonderful recipes from you!!!

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  76. hi mishmash, i made your fuit cake and it was delicious.It tasted like the ones i used to have in kerala. Thanks for the recipe.
    Do visit my blog http://sandhyaskitchen.blogspot.com/ when you find time.

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  77. I have been looking for a rum/plum cake recipe for a while now (my husband loves them!), and found yours; it is very nicely written and very detailed. I tried it; and the end product was delicious! My husband lovvved it! Thanks so much for sharing!!

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  78. Hi Mishmash,
    This is the first recipe I tried from ur blog... Let me admit it. It was the first cake I ever made in my life and the end product was fabulous. Thanks a lot for sharing. I was always craving for this cake since I reached US. For my husband’s B’day I made this cake (for a second time..:) and I brought office… can u believe?..it was a big hit in my office…Thanks a lot for sharing..

    And a request to u dear.. if u have plans to make ur blog accessible for only invited users, plz let know in advance…coz people like us…having no time to create a blog or update daily, still visit ur blog for some authentic recipes.. I used to visit couple more food blogs for recipes.. Yesterday I found I cannot access one of it… if u say u gonna make ur blog private, I will surely create a blog and request ur permission in advance.. :)

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  79. i tried this cake and comes out good, but for me it is little bit sugary, other than that everything is perfect

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  80. I tried making this cake and it came out very well. I do have one question. Where do you buy Tutti Frutti in US?b

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  81. Please post some cake receipes which can be prepared in a microwave oven or otherwise in a pressure cooker.

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  82. Hi Mishmash,
    It took me six months to actually bake the cake, since I put my query for using granulated sugar. But the fruits were very well soaked the cake taste was superb.
    But It did not rise that well as in your picture, I feel the reasons
    Using granulated sugar, too much liquid in the cake due to not able to froth the egg whites, Do you think using more flour i.e 2 cups & 2 tsp baking powder will solve the problem. Also i have a gas oven with no temp control took me over two hours to bake on slow fir with the surgface a bit moist.Awaiting your response for a improved version.Thanks

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  83. hey Shn,

    I want to know whether I can get tuti fruiti in US? If not is there a way to make it by caramelizing sugar. If so can you please add the recipie.pleasee reply fast since I would like to make the cake before sept 28.
    And is the granulated sugar different from the one that we use in kitchen?

    Thanks,
    Nisha

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  84. I tried this cake last Christmas and loved it!! So did my husband who misses the cakes we get in Kerala during Christmas. I meant to write a comment on your blog, but forgot. I plan on making the cake again this Christmas, and this time I will soak the fruits well in advance!
    Your blog is great, and the pictures are beautiful!
    Thanks for the great recipes!

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  85. Dear Shn,

    Ur blog is awesome. I was looking for a fruit cake recipe and I found yours. It seems to be very delicious. Today, I bought all the ingredients required for the cake and soaked the fruits in rum. I plan to make the cake about after 15 days. Cold u please tell me if the soaked fruits need to be refrigerated during this period or can they just be kept outside?

    Thank you for sharing the recipe. I will definitely let you know how it turns out.

    Regards,

    Riya

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  86. Riya, you can leave the soaked fruit in your kitchen cabinet....no need to refrigerate as it is sitting in alcohol.....let me know your feedback :)

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  87. Thank you very much for the feedback, Shn. I will definitely let you know how it turns out. I am planning to make it during Thanksgiving.

    Cheers,
    Riya

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  88. hi,
    i cnt find cake flour.can i use self raising flour/vanilla flavored boxed cake mix
    pls let me know planning to make the cake 4 thanksgiving as a trial..and will make the real deal for xmas:)
    susi

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  89. Hi mish,
    its an amazing blog, and yummy recipes...
    good luck

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  90. Shn..I need to make non-alcoholic version of this fruit cake. Can you pls suggest any substitute for rum?

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  91. Hey Shn,

    I hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving weekend. I made the fruit cake and it was super hit. It was just awesome. Everybody loved it. My friends said that it tasted just like the one we get in the bakeries in india. I will make this often from now on.

    Thanks for the recipe,

    Riya

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  92. Hi,
    Im new here. i was looking for a nice fruitcake recipe and thought i'd try urs. It looks great. But i just wanted to know if i can use imitation rum extract instead of rum, and if so how much would b needed to soak the fruits in. Eagerly waiting 4 ur reply.
    Thanks

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  93. How can we prevent settling down the fruits to the bottom of cake. ,,?? any tips..??

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  94. Hi Shn, A comment on your blog from my side is long over-due. All the credit for my Onam Sadya this year goes to you. For almost a week before Onam, your blog was my home page! Everything looked good and turned out delicious, and I will send pics.

    Then I saw this fruit cake posting... OMG, I was thrilled to see it. My husband always talked about the christian mallu fruit cake that we both used to have during our carol singing days. I never knew how to make it and didn't knwo who to ask because my mom didn't make it either. Thanks to you, my cake is now in the oven, and my 5 year old son helped thinking that he is baking Jesus's birthday cake! I don't think I can wait for 5 days before cutting it... Will let you iknow how it turns out! Thank god for you, and your blog! Wish you a merry holiday season :)

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  95. My very first "christiani" cake turned out super. We gobbled it all up within 3 days. Now I plan to make 10 more cakes as a christmas presents for our friends. Thank you so much, Mishmash!!!

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  96. the cake turned out sooo well... couldnt blve i myself baked it...just cut it yesterday and its almost over...planning to bake again... :) thankyou so much for this amazing recipe!!

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  97. hi ,

    I am amking the cake for tomorrow , but i completely missed the fact that this cake should be cut only after 5 days. i am making it only today :(. will that be a big problem?

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  98. Inspired by your recipe, my husband just baked this cake. He did make a couple of modifications though. He used your recipe as a reference point and it worked really well.
    Just had a small slice of the cake. It is F-AB-U-L-O-U-S!!!!
    Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Happy Holidays and a very happy 2009 to you and yours. :)

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  99. heyy, nice recipe. I was wondering is it necessary to use rum for the flavour. Is there anything else I can use instead of rum. thanks for the recipe.

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  100. Hi,

    Thanks for wonderful recipe. It came out really well. I am new at baking but your detailed description made it easy. have been wanting to bake fruit cake for long ..many thanks!!

    Namrata

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  101. Shn, I saw your response to a question about keping the soaked fruits outside, un-refrigerated- for about 2 weeks. I have a lot more fruits soaked in rum and am planning to keep it for a few months, or even till next christmas. Do you think that I should refrigerate it since it will be for a year. How do they do it in Kerala? I made another batch of small cakes as gifts fro friends and had my hubby and son help me with it... Thanks again!

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  102. Hi
    Thank you for the wonderful fruit cake recipe.I baked the cake yesterday and am resisting myself from cutting it.I tasted the crumbs but they kind of taste more of egg.
    Is that how the cake will taste after 4 days or will the rum from the fruits change the taste?I have soaked the fruit and nuts for 3 months.An eagerly awaiting a response from you.Thank you.It was fun to bake the cake with my husband.

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  103. If you have forgotten to soak dry fruits in alchohol, heat the fruits in alchohol in medium heat for about a minute. This is really easy and handy.

    I used bacardi aged rum this time for christmas and it came out really well.

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  104. Chef, i tried out your receipe and all my American colleagues loved it instantly. It makes a lovely all season gift. I'm baking the third batch of this cake today :)
    Thanks so much !!

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  105. Hey Shn!
    I have guests coming over and i really want to make this cake, but i really don't want to use any rum or wine, what would you suggest as an alternative. I have children coming up too and i really don't want to be serving them anything alcoholic in it. Let me know your thoughts it would be very helpful and im excited to try this out since i am a great fan of fruit cakes.

    Priya

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  106. Thank you very much for the recipe. I used it to make my first ever fruit cake and it came out awesome - in looks, texture and taste.
    -Nithu

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  107. Hi!
    such a wonderful recipe finally made it. It just came out of the oven and im really finding it really hard to control my temptations to digg into it. Have look at entry on the fruit cake when you get a chance at http://priyamithra.blogspot.com/2009/01/mission-to-make-fruit-cake.html

    Cheers
    Mithra

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  108. Hi, I am planning to make this cake this week. Should I soak the nuts also in rum along with the tutti fruity?

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  109. Anon, yes, soak chopped nuts and fruits together

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  110. Hi Mish I love ur blog, have tried a lot of ur recipes (mostly malabar - I miss my mom's food :( ) & have loved them all. I've made this cake twice in the last 2 months and saying it was delicious will be an understatement. I used lesser amt. of sugar & used Shiraz wine instead of the rum. Thx a lot 4 this recipe.
    Neen

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  111. hi maam,
    Actually i am a silent reader for the past 3 months. Nowdays i am becoming a fan to you. I have prepared Your plum cake as you given in the recipe. It came out very well. Thanks a lot.

    ambikai

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  112. hi shn,
    Really you know my hubby is more interested in baking and he searched for plum cake he only got ur plum cake. The picturisation and explaination about the cake is awesome. It is very useful to follow. Once again thanks for sharing ur cake recipe. Would you please make a note of my mail id : gambikai@gmail.com

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  113. hi,
    I am a beginner when it comes to any form of baking. so i don't want to make a big cake. I have only an 22cm round baking tin. How much quantity should i take.

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  114. Hi

    Its really a yummy dish i tried out and came out well.

    one small suggestion!
    Keep a column for subsicritpion via Email.
    Regards
    Anju

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  115. Hi Shn,

    I have to say I go through a whole lot of recipe blogs but yours tops them all. The recipes itself are super but the attention to detail is amazing.

    I have a question - you have mentioned that the fruit cake will stay in the refridgerator for very long but it should have a long shelf life even without being refridgerated, due to the alcohol?

    Please claify.

    Thanks heaps.
    Anna

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  116. Anna, At my place, after cutting the cake, it never stays for more than 3 days....so i really dont know :P

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  117. I made your cake last yr and everyone loved it. it was really nice. I am planning on soaking the fruits sometime now so that by then they would be really nice. Should i have to keep it refrigerated while it is being soaked or leaving it outside in a jar is fine?
    thanks!!!

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  118. This recipe is a keeper. I tried it last year and my husband loved it. This year, I am going to make a bigger batch for friends. Hope I dont mess up :P Thanks for the post.

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  119. Hi Shn,

    It's Christmas time again and I plan to make this fruit again. I made it last year and it was awesome. This year, however, I have already soaked the fruits and nuts. I modified the recipe a little bit and used 80% rum, 15% cream sherry and 5% red wine. Since I bake a lot, I look at a lot of recipes and I came across this combinations. Will let u know how it comes out. My question is, have u ever used muscovado sugar in baking? I have used brown sugar but this one seems to be popular in fruit cakes. I was wondering if the procedure needs to be changed if I use this sugar as its properties slightly differ from regular sugars.

    Thanks,
    Riya

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  120. Wonderful Recipe..I have it all wrapped up and waiting to taste it..Though I tasted a pinch..I have linked you in my blog post.

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  121. Hello Mishmash

    Awesome recipe !!

    Do u think its okay to use caramel syrup instead? I am a lazy bum !!!

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  122. Hi Shn,
    the cake looks very yummy.. i m planning to make it for this christmas..can u pls tell me the type of cup u use??

    Sherin

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  123. i follow american measuring cup and spoon measurement for all my recipes

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  124. Hi Shn,

    Your recipe sounds so great!I'm gonna give it a try this Christmas.Can we use Aluminium bake pans to bake ?

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  125. this looks soo good, i wanna try it, but is there a way to print this?

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  126. This looks sooo good, i wanna try it, but is there a way to print this?

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  127. Hi Shn,

    Congrats on the new entrant into your family.
    I have baked the plum cake in line with your recipe and left it on the kitchen counter. My husband has been looking at the cakes and asking me to cut it. He says Shn won't know if you cut it ahead of time. I won't be surprised if my husband and kids just decide to eat it.
    You have wonderful recipes and excellent presentation. Hope you find time to update the site with the baby now being around.
    Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful year ahead.

    Priya

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  128. Hi Shn..I baked this yesterday and its sitting on my counter top..counting down till i can unwrap it! it looks and smells really good! Thanx for the detailed instructions!

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  129. hiiiii mishmash!! ur recipes are excellent!!! i luv ur recipes and specialy the way u present things.... :)
    i need to clarify something in this cake.... u use alchohol to sock the fruits... is ther any alternative to alchohol... coz v don use alchohol ....
    looking forward for ur reply soon...

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  130. whats measurements in cups and sticks can u please disclose it in grams or kgs it will us indians out here in india

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  131. Wow.. Wonderful recipe to follow! Just came out awesome. Thanks Shn!

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  132. A good recipe indeed..

    A friend of mine mentioned this came out well with brown sugar for caramel. Also told me to mix the soaked tutti fruti in some flour instead of just mixing it into the batter. This make the fruits not settle down in the cake and gets evenly distributed.

    Another recipe called for using pepsi as a substitute for rum. I have not tried this though.

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  133. Excellent!!! I tried this recipe to the dot..and I must say that it came out real well. I waited (impatiently) for about a week to eat the cake. I didn't use cake jeera, cause I couldn't find it. Also, the smell and taste of the rum is a bit too strong in the cake. Next time, I'll try soaking the fruits for less than 48 hours...or try the Coke alternative mentioned by another blogger above.

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  134. Hi
    Reading the recipe....its really tempting. I would like to know on what temperature the soaked fruits in bottle should be kept..in room temperature or in fridge.

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  135. add some ginger+orange rind +lemon rind ground to paste it tastes great and a superb flavour too

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  136. Hi...the cake recipe seems to be tempting....I need to clear one doubt...Can you please tell for how many hrs/days/months the soaking process in rum should be done.

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  137. again,again,again...I loved fruit cake so much!!

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  138. Hi mishmash,
    Can you pls tell me size of ur measuring cup for fruit cake?
    Thanks,
    Smitha

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  139. hi can u please give the measurements in grams? because the cup size may be different. i would like to try your recipe this christmas.

    with luv
    diana

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  140. Am a baker myself so when I saw your recipe and how you describing it ...its just perfect for anybody...special thumps up for such a detailed and step by step instructions...am really going to try your recipe for this Xmas :)

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  141. Hi Shn,
    I have made this cake couple of times and every time it has turned out really wonderful. I have a question, every time I soak the dry fruits in Rum and drain it when I make the cake, I have some Rum left. Can i reuse this Rum again to soak the fruits?

    Thanks,
    Sherin

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  142. Hi.. thank you for the recipe! I have a question.. When I caramelized the sugar, it became very hard after cooling down. Since you had included that the caramelized sugar should not be hot.. I didnt know how to keep it in the liquid form. Can you help with this?

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  143. I made this christmas cake and it turned out really gud,i'd like to know the shelf life of this cake.I cut this cake on the 5th day as you said ,will it stay gud for another week ?If so how do i store it.

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  144. hi
    can i be able to try dis receipe using a microwave oven..

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  145. have you tried from a spice cake box mix and doing the rest of the recipe as regular.

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  146. Hey Mishmash!!!!!

    Your nostalgic story ,the pcture and the presentation is so good ..
    I just have a simple and quick question.. Can I add garam masala for the spice powder ???

    Happy Christmas to you and your family !!!!!!

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  147. Neha, thank you..I havent tried with garam masala as my garam masala doesnt have cakejeera (which gives a nice smell to the cake.).but i think u can give it a try , it would give a slighly different smell and flavour, depending on ur spice mix.

    Anon, nope , i havent tried this cake with spice box mix

    Athulya, i don't know...i have never tried. sorry!

    Indu, sorry for not replying promptly to ur Q. At our place, it doesnt stay for more than 3-4 days..but i think it would be safe for a week..but anything beyond that, u need to refrigerate immediately after the maturing period.

    mary, the key here is tp keep swirling the pan, till you caramelize all the crystalized sugar from the edge of the pan, while caramelising and then after you pour cold water to it, continue swirling as it helps to melt any crystalized sugar that forms when u add the liquid. swirl...swirl..and swirl.

    Sherin, i reuse the rum only if the soaked fruits stayed in it for only a period of one week or so.

    Juby, thanks :) so did you?

    Diana, i use standard measuring cups...if you have a set of measuring cups and spoons, u can use the same ,onlt thing u need to make sure is that u follow the cups and spoons of the same set. i have never weighed, so difficult to convert the exact amount to weight.

    Ratu, Hugs to you..thank you :)

    Anon, I have clearly given that in the recipe..anywhere from 1 to 1 year.

    Anon, thx for the suggestion

    Anon , i keep it at room temp but if i want to keep it for a year, i usually keep in refrigerator , just to be on the safer side.


    Shn

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  148. Hi,
    I have been thinking of baking this since an year or so..finally managed to bake it yesterday.The smell is irrestible,i must say..:) Can you tell me the size of pan you used(You have mentioned that you used one 8 inch and 6 inch pans)Was it
    8 * 8 pan?The reason for asking this is my cake has not risen as yours..Not sure if my pan was too big for the measurements given.
    Would it happen also with over beating of egg whites?

    Please reply when you get a chance.

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  149. Anon, oh my...not 8* 8, i used 8*2 ..that's why your cake is flat:( did u like the taste?

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  150. Hello,I'm a big fan of your blog.Most of your recipes are similar to my mom's.So these recipes bring back good old memories.Last night i made your fruit cake which i have made last year too.It always come out good.But it is never same as the plum cake we get back in Kerala. why is that? Is it just me or does yours come out the same taste as kerala plum cake?

    Thanks a lot and I appreciate you posting all the recipes.

    Manju

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  151. Had been wishing to eat this cake reminding me of my days back in India and stumbled upon this recipe. THe cake came out delicious. Its difficult to wait for 5 days but that truly adds to the taste and flavor (I could not resist eating a little bit after baking and then ate it after 5 days and could clearly see the difference).
    Thanks once again for such a wonderful recipe

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  152. Hey thanks for the reply,yes,i used bigger one..anyways,we cut the cake on xmas night and it was very delicious,though bit flat..:)
    I clicked some pictures as well(like you :) )but it looks bit moist..It doesnt matter as i love moist ones..:) thanks once again!i recommend this recipe to all the kerala plum cake lovers,here goes my five stars *****

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  153. Hi Mishmash...i made this cake last year and I made it this year as well! I really love it, and i love the whole process of soaking fruits, waiting 5 days to cut the cake :)

    I saw someone else had also asked the same question, not sure if you have answered yet..my cake doesnt taste the same as the plum cake we get back in Kerala. Is it just me or does yours come out the same taste as kerala plum cake?
    One change I make to your recipe is that I use egg replacer instead of eggs, as my hubby doesnt eat eggs. I am planning to try it with eggs one time, to see if that makes a difference. Other than that, just wanted to check with you, if yours comes out tasting just like the plum cakes in Kerala?

    Regardless, i love your recipe! And the end product too :) Thanx a bunch for sharing!

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  154. Hey Mishmash, I cant begin to Thank YOU enough for this recipe. I have tried it atleast 4-5 times, and its come out PERFECT every single time. Its not just me, My Man & My Son is a huge fan of this Fruit Cake.

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  155. Hai Mishmash,
    First of all thank you very much for giving us a nice fruit cake.I tried the cake and it tastes good.But i can't get the sponginess in the cake.Can you please tell me how long i should beat the flour.Thank you once again.

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  156. I can't wait to try this Christmas/Plum cake recipe this year! How do I follow your blog?

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  157. Beautiful site - feast for the eyes and mind as well. Thanks for your time and effort in creating it. Now to get my ingredients and try it out. The hardest part will waiting to eat it. Thanksgiving and Christmas to you and yours this season

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  158. Hello,I am planning to soak fruits this week for Christmas.Can you tell me the measurement of the 6 inch pan you used?I am planning to use 8 * 4 pan,so would like to adjust measurement of ingredients depending on the size of the pans you used.

    Thanks very much!

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  159. Hi Mishmash!

    This is such a wonderful recipe! I wanted to ask you , this cake yields an 8 inch and a 6 inch cake pan. What would be the measurements if I wanted to make one 9 inch cake?

    Thanks,
    Liz

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  160. Hi Mishmash,

    This is an awesome recipe. I wanted to know , if I wanted to make a 9 inch cake , what would be the measurements for the ingredients?

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  161. Hi Mishmash! I loved reading your reminiscence. It transported me to the same era when I fought off my sisters for the icing on the cake (including the flower that adorned the top). My wife had similar experiences. As for the cake itself- I will have to depend on my lady to make it this Christmas.Will let you know. I laughed out aloud at the experience of sharing 'peace' with your neighbours in Church. I too am confused about the timing and a little awkward about the whole business.....on the very rare occasions when I attend services in a Church!!! Merry Christmas to you and your family! George

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  162. Hi Mishmash, Made this cake several times. Words are not eough to say THANKYOU to you. Cake was soo tasty. For this year's X'Mas carol, i made more than 100 pieces of this fruit cake. Each and everybody who came for caroling loved it soo much and wanted this recipe. I made one change, instead of adding 1 and a half cup of sugar, i added only 1 cup of sugar. Also, when mixing the flour, don't beat too much, only slow mixing is enough and then fold in the egg white. If we beat the flour, the center portion of the cake will not raise, saw a dip in the center portion.

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  163. MishMash,
    Been following your blog for a while now, recommended by my best friends @ Zaarga.com
    Congratulations on the well written pieces you out, attention to recipe details and the gorgeous pictures!! I followed your christmas cake recipe almost to the tee(added 1 cup more fruits and sprinkled rum on it right out of the oven) and its the best I've made so far- moist ,great flavor and color!
    Keep up the great work! And Merry Christmas to you and yours!
    Priya

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  164. Thanks for the recipe! I followed it to a T except for the amount of shah jeera and dried fruits (I reduced both to my liking) The cake came out great!! will be making this again :) happy holidays!!

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  165. Hi, I love trying my hand on cooking. I loved the recipe. But in place of egg I used hanged Dahi and in place of Caramal used Honey. I baked the cake as suggested but could not resist the temptation of eating it. So in place of waiting for five days, I eat one of the four cakes that I made just after one day. I and my family have not doubt that we have never tasted one better than this one. The end product has turned out awesome. Thank you so every much. You are great. Thank you once again.

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  166. Hi, I love trying my hand on cooking. I loved the recipe. But in place of egg I used hanged Dahi and in place of Caramal used Honey. I baked the cake as suggested but could not resist the temptation of eating it. So in place of waiting for five days, I eat one of the four cakes that I made just after one day. I and my family have not doubt that we have never tasted one better than this one. The end product has turned out awesome. Thank you so every much. You are great. Thank you once again.

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  167. Hi, I love trying my hand on cooking. I loved the recipe. But in place of egg I used hanged Dahi and in place of Caramal used Honey. I baked the cake as suggested but could not resist the temptation of eating it. So in place of waiting for five days, I eat one of the four cakes that I made just after one day. I and my family have not doubt that we have never tasted one better than this one. The end product has turned out awesome. Thank you so every much. You are great. Thank you once again.

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  168. rich, yummy cake. wish u a very happy new year :)

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  169. I tried out this recipe this Xmas, last month and it was amazing

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  170. Hi,
    Just yesterday I baked this cake following ur recipe. I soaked the fruits for 5 days and didn't add shahjeera as I couldn't get it in my hurry...But then this was the best Fruit cake I've ever baked. Thanks so much. Your blog is very useful to me. Prawns Biriyani and Curry meen pozhichathu are the favourites in my house. Wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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  171. I have soaked the fruits as per your recipe. Can you pls tell me the measure of the butter in grams if possible. Thanx a lot. hoping to hear from you soon

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  172. I have soaked the fruits as per your recipe. Can you pls tell me the measure of the butter in grams if possible. Thanx a lot. hoping to hear from you soon

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  173. I baked the cake on christmas day and it came out really well. I reduced the sugar quantity as I felt it will be really sweet.
    Everyone at home had and theres nothing left... :-)
    Recipe was awesome.

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