Recipe Traditional Goan Christmas Cake

[*kinnu*]

Ingredients

Cherries 250 gms
Raisins 250 gms
Ginger 250 gms
Tuti-Fruiti 250 gms
Dates 250 gms
Peals (Apple, Orange) 250 gms
Butter 1 1/2 Kg
Sugar 1 1/2 Kg
Flour 1 3/4 Kg
Eggs 2 dozen
Baking powder 3tps
Vanilla essence 2 tps
Salt 1 tps
Cake masala - Shahi jeera 10 gms,1/2 nutmeg, cinnamon 10 gms , cardamom 10gms
For caramel
100 gms sugar.
Rum 1/4 bottle
Method
About one to six months in advance, stone the raisins and dates, and cut these along with the other fruits and peels into small pieces.
Soak all this in rum along with the cake masala and let it marinate until it is time for baking which may be a couple of days before Christmas.
Prepare the caramel: take100 gms.sugar, add 1/2 cup water and place on the flame. When the sugar browns, go on adding a little water at a time for two or three times, to get a dark brown colour. Take off the fire and mix in the cake mixture
Prepare the cake tray: Do this before mixing the batter. Grease the base and sides of the tray with butter, then sprinkle and dust with flour to cover the greased sides and base by holding the tray and turning it around.
Prepare the cake mix: Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs. Add one yolk at a time to the butter-cream and whip till well blended. Beat the egg whites stiff, and keep aside. Sieve the baking powder, salt and flour together. Flour the fruit mixture slightly (to avoid sinking). Now add this to the cake mixture. Gently fold in the flour, vanilla essence, and egg whites. Now mix in the caramel. Add two tbsps of warm milk if necessary to get a dropping consistency.
Bake: Pour the mixture in the greased cake baking trays. Bake at 350 degrees F in a moderate oven for 1 hour or so. Test with a tester, if it comes out clean, the cake is done. The above will give you three kilograms of cake to make your family, friends, relatives and neighbours happy.