Recipe: Garam Masala Fruit Cake

Summary: An Indian twist to the traditional fruit cake. Garam masala adds to the warmth of the spices. The fruit marry well with flavours like garam masala, orange juice, brandy,caramel and lime juice. The coffee and caramel syrup give the cake a nice, deep hue!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2hrs 30minutes
Ingredients:

• Garam Masala Fruit Cake
• 1-1.25 kg mixed fruit,nuts,peel mincemeat {mincemeat recipe follows}
• 400gm plain flour
• 300gm unsalted butter, room temperature
• 200gm sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup caramel syrup {Made with 1/2 cup of sugar caramelised. Add some water and heat gently to liquefy. Measure and top up with water to make 3/4 cup liquid. Cool}
• 2tsp instant coffee
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt {skip if using salted butter}
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Mincemeat or fruit mix, sans suet
• 700gms raisins, chopped if desired
• 200 currants
• 100gms orange peel, chopped
• 170gms almonds, chopped
• 250gms cashewnuts, chopped
• 100gms candied cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup cherry liquor {or brandy}
• 1/2 cup brandy {or rum}
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice {from 3 keenus/oranges}
• Juice of 3-4 limes
• Zest of 2 keenus/oranges
• 4 tbsp garam masala
• 2tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp instant coffee

Method:

1. Garam Masala Fruit Cake
2. Toss the soaked mixed fruit in the flour well in a large bowl {I used a huge wok} so that the fruit is completely coated. Reserve.
   Stir coffee into caramel syrup. Reserve.
3. Beat the butter and sugar till fluffy, 2 minutes, add the eggs one by one and beat well again.
4. Now add the caramel syrup and vanilla extract and beat again for a minute till well incorporated. The mixture may appear curdled but that’s fine. Add baking powder and whisk again.
5. Turn this batter out over the mincemeat and stir well with spatula to blend uniformly.
6. Turn into lined loaf pans/baking tins and bake at 140C until the top appears done when you touch it, about 1 hour for the loaf pans, and almost 2-2 1/4 hours for my 15 X 11 tin. {Do keep an eye on the top of the cake. My ovens ‘bake’ setting is just the lower level so the top doesn’t brown too quick. If you find the top browning too soon, please slip a foil loosely over the top about an hour and a half into baking.}
7. Cool in tin, turn out and wrap in cling-film once cold. Allow to stand and mature in a cool dark place for a day or two, at least overnight. The longer it stands the better the flavours, but we never get that far in my fruit-cake loving household.
   Poke the top with a skewer and pour a few tbsps of brandy {or rum} over the top before wrapping the cake if you like. Makes the cake nice and moist.
8. Sift icing sugar over the top if you like, and add some homemade marzipan toppings.
9. !Mincemeat / fruitmince or fruit mix, sans suet
10. Mix all the ingredients nicely and soak overnight in a cool place, or for 3-4 days. The longer you soak the fruit, the more mature the flavour. I soaked mine for 3 days. {You can substitute the alcohol with an equal amount of orange juice too}
11. If you find the fruits are looking dry, add about 1/2 cup of brandy/rum/orange juice and toss again. Leave for a few hours for the juices to get absorbed.