Soft and moist slices loaded with fruits, Christmas cake is traditionally served at Christmas time in many countries, especially in the United Kingdom and its former colonies. In Kolkata, where Christmas is celebrated with much aplomb, the Christmas ‘plum cake’ is a staple of the festivities.
The origins of the modern-day Christmas cake goes as far back as Roman times. The Italian pangiallo is said to be a variation of what is known as the Roman ‘Twelfth Cake’ — a confection made with nuts, barley, honeyed wine and other ingredients that was usually served around winter solstice. Over time, the cake evolved and became a part of Christmas traditions. In England, the Christmas cake actually began as a Christmas pudding. A plum pudding was eaten after a day of religious fasting and with time, ingredients like eggs, flour, honey were added to the mix for the pudding to resemble something similar to the plum cake we know today. Marzipan found its way into the mix soon after the modern Christmas cake was baked.
Christmas in Kolkata is incomplete without a rich fruit cake. So, in the spirit of Yuletide and keeping in mind the city’s love for Christmas cakes, My Kolkata dropped in at the almost decades-old Saldanha Bakery, tucked away on 19, Nawab Abdur Rahman Street in the Esplanade area for a class on baking a decadent plum cake.
Alisha and Debra Alexander, the fourth- and third-generation baker-owners of Saldanha Bakery Soumyajit Dey
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making Xmas cake with expert tips from the third-generation owner, Debra Alexander.
Pick, chop and prep the dry fruits
Christmas is a busy time for dry fruit vendors in New Market Soumyajit Dey
According to Debra Alexander, the nuts and fruits can be anything of your choice but the most important part is to choose the quality of the ingredients. She said, “People ask where they can buy good quality dry fruits in Kolkata. I will say never trust just one supplier. Go to the shops and taste for yourself. Pick the ones you find the best.”
In Kolkata one can find all kinds of dry fruits for cakes in New Market's Hogg Market.
Tips for preparing the dry fruits for baking
- Finely chop the cherries, apricots, candied oranges and other ‘wet dry fruits’ to ensure big chunks do not make the cake slices brittle
- Sun dry these ingredients to get rid of any water or moisture that will cause hindrance in increasing the shelf life of the cake
- If you are using dry fruits like almonds and cashew nuts, you can either buy the chopped variety or chop them at home and keep in an airtight container
- If you are using any alcohol, soak the sun-dried and other dry fruits in alcohol for at least three weeks
- Rum and brandy are traditionally used but wine or whiskey can be used too
- You can keep feeding the dry fruits with the alcohol during the soaking process. It makes for boozy cakes
The art of balancing ingredients
According to Debra, “The proportion of the ingredients is important. The flour-to-egg ratio will decide how dense the cake will be. Good quality butter is also necessary. The local white butter known as Aligarh makhhan was used by people ages back. Many times it used to contain water which would again decrease the shelf life of the cakes. Nowadays, you have branded white butter, which is quite good.”
Tips for first-time bakers
- Use refined flour and make sure it is not damp and does not have lumps. It is best to sieve the flour
- About 8 eggs for 500g flour should suffice
- Use unsalted butter that’s free of any moisture content
- Do not go overboard with your baking powder
- You can use caramel for a darker texture
- For first-time bakers, cinnamon is a safe spice to begin with
Mix it to fix it
According to the bakery owner, the pro tip to a perfect cake is giving it enough time during the mixing process. “Many people rush through the mixing and end up in failure. You have to give it enough time and patience.”
Butter bliss: Giving enough time to the mixing process is a crucial step in cake making; the sugar should mix well with the butter
Things to keep in mind during cake-mixing
- Sieve all your dry ingredients to make sure there are no lumps
- Use a cup to measure your ingredients
- Sugar and butter should be creamed properly together. The sugar should mix well with the butter
- Whisk the eggs taking enough time
- The mixing bowls should be clean and dry
Cracking the oven code
Christmas cakes take a little longer to bake because of the dry fruits and other ingredients, said Debra Jaismita Alexander
We all know that a cake takes about 20-30 minutes to bake at 180°C. However, Debra feels this time and temperature varies from oven to oven. “Christmas cakes take a little longer to bake than the usual cakes because of the dry fruits and other ingredients. However, I suggest people try baking it for 20-30 minutes at 170°C and be alert in the last few minutes. Keep checking it.”
BONUS: An easy-peasy fruit cake recipe
A rich fruit cake from Saldanha Bakery Soumyajit Dey
Ingredients
- Raisins: 1/2 cup
- Cashews: 1/2 cup
- Cherries: 1/2 cup
- Currants: 1/2 cup
- Mixed Peel: 1/4 cup
- Prune: 1/2 cup
- Almonds: 1/4 cup
- Alcohol of choice: 2 cups
- Butter: 1/2 cup
- Sugar: 1/2 cup
- Flour: 1/2 cup
- Eggs: 5
- Baking Powder: 2tsp
- Cinnamon powder: 1/2tsp
- Caramel, light or dark as desired
Method
- Soak fruits for at least two weeks before use
- Sift all dry ingredients to avoid any lumps
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar to softened room-temperature butter and cream the butter and sugar gradually, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is light
- Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and pour into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix well
- Fold in the flour, add fruits little at a time and add caramel into the mixture. The quantity of the caramel will determine the colour of the cake
- Weigh into lined cake tins/foil and bake at 170 degrees till golden brown and well cooked
- Check with a skewer. When it comes out clean, your cake is done
Check out the season’s offerings at Saldanha Bakery here.
