Christmas Cake No. 2
This rich and decadent Christmas Cake is a traditional Parsi holiday favorite, featuring a dense, buttery crumb loaded with currants, sultanas, and candied orange peel. The batter is enriched with fifteen eggs and aromatic spices like nutmeg and mace, creating a luxurious texture that is slow-baked to golden perfection. Finished with a hint of brandy and white wine, this festive fruitcake is perfect for slicing and sharing during the holiday season.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Butter (Originally 'soji makhan ratal 1 1/2'. Use unsalted butter.)
- 1 pound All-purpose flour (Originally 'mill's no. 1 wheat flour'.)
- 1/2 pound Currants (Cleaned.)
- 1/2 pound Sultanas or Raisins (Originally 'kismis darakh'.)
- 1 pound Powdered sugar (Originally 'ground sugar sher 1'.)
- 1/2 pound Almonds (Blanched and chopped/ground.)
- 1/2 pound Candied orange peel (Originally 'orange na velati suka murabba' (dried orange marmalade/peel). Finely chopped.)
- 15 large Eggs (Fresh.)
- 1 tablespoon Ground nutmeg (Originally '1 tola'. Adjusted for modern measurement.)
- 1 tablespoon Ground mace (Originally '1 tola'. Adjusted for modern measurement.)
- 3 teaspoons Brandy
- 3 teaspoons White wine
- 2 tablespoons Butter (For greasing the paper/pan. Quantity estimated.)
Instructions
- 1Peel (blanch) the almonds and chop or grind them. Wash, wipe, and dry both the currants and raisins thoroughly. Sprinkle a little flour over the dried fruits and toss to coat.
- 2Break the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the yolks well with a fork. Beat the egg whites until they form a stiff, hard froth (stiff peaks).
- 3In a large tinned pot or mixing bowl, beat the butter thoroughly with a cake beater until creamy (if using fresh butter, drain any water that separates). Mix the sugar into the stiffly beaten egg whites, then add this meringue mixture to the creamed butter. Beat well for about 15-30 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- 4Add the beaten egg yolks to the butter mixture. Then, gradually add the flour little by little, beating continuously. Continue to beat the batter for another 15-30 minutes to ensure a smooth texture.
- 5Add the prepared almonds, currants, raisins, candied orange peel, nutmeg, and mace. Mix well. Finally, stir in the brandy and white wine.
- 6Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a large round cake mold (or two smaller ones) with thick paper greased with butter. Fill the mold about three-quarters full with the batter. Bake in the moderate oven for 3 to 4 hours until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- 7Once baked, remove from the oven. If the top has risen unevenly, trim it level with a hot knife. (Optional: The original recipe suggests applying almond icing followed by sugar icing and drying in a cool oven).