Rich Plum Cake (Parsi Style)
This historical 'Rich Plum Cake' is a monumental Parsi celebration dessert, calling for twenty-five eggs and two pounds of butter to create an incredibly dense and moist crumb. The batter is infused with a complex blend of caraway, cardamom, nutmeg, and mace, then studded with generous amounts of almonds, pistachios, currants, and candied orange peel. Traditionally prepared with a labor-intensive creaming method, this recipe yields a large, luxurious fruitcake perfect for weddings or grand festivities.
Ingredients
- 10.5 ounces Superfine wheat flour (Maida) (Part of the 1 lb flour mix (2 parts flour).)
- 5.5 ounces White semolina (Rava) (Part of the 1 lb flour mix (1 part semolina).)
- 2 pounds Butter (Fresh butter preferred.)
- 1.5 pounds Powdered sugar (Finely ground.)
- 25 whole Eggs (Separated into yolks and whites.)
- 1 pound Candied orange peel or marmalade (Chopped into chunks.)
- 8 ounces Almonds (Blanched and sliced. Quantity estimated (original text unclear).)
- 8 ounces Pistachios (Blanched and sliced. Quantity estimated (original text unclear).)
- 8 ounces Dried currants (Cleaned and dried. Quantity estimated (original text unclear).)
- 2 tablespoons Caraway seeds (Originally '2 tolas'. Roasted.)
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Quantity estimated.)
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg powder (Quantity estimated.)
- 1 teaspoon Mace powder (Quantity estimated.)
- 5 teaspoons Brandy (Originally 'bedi' (brandy).)
- 3 teaspoons Vanilla essence
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Instructions
- 1Clean, wash, and thoroughly dry the currants; sprinkle them with a little flour to coat. Blanch and peel the almonds and pistachios, then slice them thinly, wash, wipe, and dry them. Three hours before making the cake, soak the chopped orange peel in the brandy in a bowl.
- 2Lightly roast the wheat flour and semolina mixture as one would for puff pastry, then let it dry. Break the eggs, separating the yolks from the whites. Beat the yolks in a shallow vessel until thin. Beat the egg whites separately until they form a stiff, hard froth.
- 3In a large tinned vessel (or a very clean pot), add the butter. Using a wooden cake paddle or spoon, beat the butter vigorously for half an hour. If any water separates from the butter, drain it off. Gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat the mixture vigorously until it becomes light and creamy.
- 4Have one person gradually pour the beaten egg yolks into the butter-sugar mixture while another person beats it vigorously. Important: Stir in one direction only; reversing direction may cause the batter to fall. Continue mixing this base for a significant amount of time (historically up to 2-3 hours, but mix until extremely light and fluffy in a modern context).
- 5Gently mix in the remaining ingredients (flour, semolina, spices, vanilla, and prepared fruits/nuts) without over-beating. Finally, gently fold in the stiff egg whites with a clean hand or spatula until just combined.
- 6Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Prepare a cake tin by lining it with paper. (Historical note: The original recipe suggests placing a layer of raw unleavened dough at the bottom of the tin to prevent burning; modern parchment paper works well). Pour the batter into the tin, leaving about 2 inches at the top for rising. Bake for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, cover with paper.
- 7Once baked, remove from the oven. If the top has domed significantly, trim it level with a hot knife (to prevent crumbling) once cool. The cake can be decorated with royal icing, marzipan, or sugar flowers as desired for special occasions.
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