Less Fruity Fruit Cake
Recipe source : Rose Levy Beranbaum
This cake is a lot like the Christmas cakes I bake. The use
of molasses, the rum soaked dry fruits, everything reminded me of them. The difference
is in the quantity of ingredients.
The Christmas Cakes are more cake-like. This
fruit cake is so moist that it is almost like a pudding. In fact I couldn’t cut
it properly and cleanly to make neat slices.
The molasses are home made. It is easy t make but you have
to exercise a little caution as you will be handling hot sugar.
Also the longer you soak the dry fruits in rum the better
the taste will be. I am replicating the recipe verbatim but I have taken few
liberties with the original. So, do adapt the recipe according to your
resources.
Ingredients
½ cup small mixed candied fruit
2 tbsp candied citron (citron is a lemon kind of fruit. Since
I didn’t have any I used candied orange peel)
¼ cup dried currants ( I used raisins)
¼ cup broken pecans ( I used cahews)
½ cup dark rum
½ cup unsifted cake flour
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
8 tbsp softened butter
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup molasses
2 tbsp milk
Soak the candied peels and dried currants in rum for 24
hours.
Make the molasses.
Take 1 cup sugar and 4 tbsp water in a
pan and put on high heat. Let the sugar simmer till it becomes dark brown. Do not
stir the sugar or it will crystallise. Once the sugar caramelizes and browns
take off heat and add ½ cup water. Be careful at this point as the water will
sizzle and splutter when it hits the hot sugar. Stir the water and put the pan
back on heat. Keep stirring on low heat till the sugar dissolves. Let it simmer
for 5-8 minutes. Cool the molasses.
Preheat the oven at 160 degrees. Grease and line a 6” cake
pan.
Cream the butter and sugar till it is pale and frothy. Add the
egg and beat well.
Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
Add the
flour mix in 3 batches, alternating with the molasses and milk.
Add the rum
fruit mixture. Mix well. The batter might look a bit curdled as there is so
less flour.
Pour the batter in the pan.
Bake for 40-50 minutes.
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