Plum Cake (No. 2)

Name: Plum Cake (No. 2)
Ingredients: 1 pound All-purpose flour (Originally 'Wheat flour No. 1 mill'.); 12 ounces Butter (Originally 'Ratal Ma' (approx 3/4 lb). Use slightly firm butter.); 4 ounces Candied orange peel (Originally 'Orange na velati sukka murabba'. Finely chopped.); 8 ounces Almonds (Blanched.); 8 ounces Currants (Dried currants (Corinth raisins).); 12 ounces Granulated sugar (Originally 'Sher 0vya' (approx 3/4 lb).); 1/2 cup Heavy cream (Originally 'Pasher vya' (approx 4 oz).); 2 1/4 teaspoons Active dry yeast (Originally 'Padarkhananu khamir' (bakery yeast). 1 standard packet.); 1/4 cup Warm water (For blooming yeast (estimated).); 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg (Ground. Originally '1/4 tola'.); 1/2 teaspoon Mace (Ground. Originally '1/4 tola'.); 2 teaspoons Sherry; 1 teaspoon Orange flower water; 10 large Eggs (Separated.); 1 tablespoon Butter (For greasing the pan.)

A luxurious, yeast-leavened fruit cake that bridges the gap between bread and cake, characteristic of turn-of-the-century Parsi baking. This rich batter is enriched with ten eggs, heavy cream, and butter, then infused with the floral notes of orange flower water and sherry. Studded with almonds, currants, and candied orange peel, it offers a tender, airy texture unlike dense modern fruitcakes.

Ingredients

1 pound All-purpose flour (Originally 'Wheat flour No. 1 mill'.)
12 ounces Butter (Originally 'Ratal Ma' (approx 3/4 lb). Use slightly firm butter.)
4 ounces Candied orange peel (Originally 'Orange na velati sukka murabba'. Finely chopped.)
8 ounces Almonds (Blanched.)
8 ounces Currants (Dried currants (Corinth raisins).)
12 ounces Granulated sugar (Originally 'Sher 0vya' (approx 3/4 lb).)
1/2 cup Heavy cream (Originally 'Pasher vya' (approx 4 oz).)
2 1/4 teaspoons Active dry yeast (Originally 'Padarkhananu khamir' (bakery yeast). 1 standard packet.)
1/4 cup Warm water (For blooming yeast (estimated).)
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg (Ground. Originally '1/4 tola'.)
1/2 teaspoon Mace (Ground. Originally '1/4 tola'.)
2 teaspoons Sherry
1 teaspoon Orange flower water
10 large Eggs (Separated.)
1 tablespoon Butter (For greasing the pan.)

Instructions

1Clean the currants thoroughly by washing and drying them completely. Dust them lightly with a little flour. Blanch the almonds and peel them; crush half of them and slice the other half.
2Sieve the flour into a large bowl (or lightly roast it first if preferred). Mix in the sugar, ground nutmeg, and mace. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
3Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks and whites thoroughly until frothy. Mix the beaten eggs with the activated yeast mixture. Add the sherry and orange flower water to this egg mixture. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter and cream together over low heat until combined, then remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm.
4Pour the egg and yeast mixture into the well of the flour. Then, pour the lukewarm butter and cream mixture into the well. Mix everything thoroughly to form a smooth batter or soft dough.
5Transfer the mixture to a tinned vessel or large bowl. Cover and place in a warm, draft-free spot to allow the yeast to work and the dough to rise until puffy and light (approximately 1 to 1.5 hours).
6Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Once the dough has risen, gently fold in the candied orange peel pieces, prepared almonds, and currants until evenly distributed. Grease a cake tin or mold with butter (and line with parchment paper if desired). Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is golden brown.