Mumbai based-bakers share handy tips and tricks to bake the Christmas cake

It isnrsquot too early to be thinking about Christmas cake some might even say yoursquore late Christmas cake experts across the city many of whom open shop once a year for the festive season already have their raisins soaked and preorders jotted down And if yoursquore trying your hand at baking a traditional rum plum or rich fruit cake theyrsquove got some tips for youBringing in the Christmas magicThe cake on Vasaibased entrepreneur Debbie Daruwallarsquos festive menu is one that she has perfected over a decade of Christmas cakemaking The recipe is tweaked from celebrity chef Nigella Lawsonrsquos traditional fruit cake and prepared using her grandparentrsquos 1960 Kenwood stand mixer that her family discovered packed away in a cupboard for 60 years Food has always been about tradition and heirloom recipes but Daruwalla makes the cake with this familial treasure that she lovingly Call s Kenny Founder of Debbiersquos Homemade Daruwalla adds ldquoThis recipe is great for beginners because it doesnrsquot need a lot of presoaking of the fruits just one night of steepingrdquoRum and dried fruitsDebbiersquos tips1 If you want a good cake add good ingredients Quality is key so donrsquot substitute butter for oil or margarine Use real rum brandy or liquor of your choice but donrsquot use rum essence because it will give the cake a bad and bitter flavour2 Keep tasting the batter at regular intervals If it tastes bad you can be sure the cake will taste the same3 Make sure to turn off the top heating element in your oven so as to not burn the cake If you find the top of your cake browning too quickly cover it with a sheet of foilTo order Undecorated rumsoaked Christmas fruit cakeLog on to debseqCost Rs 900500 gmsCall 9821444882Perfecting cake craftNeysha Pereira from Neysharsquos Delicacies in Malad tells us that itrsquos not too late to begin presoaking the dried fruits for the cake ldquoYou have time to begin soaking the raisins and other additions Presoaking at least a month in advance will allow the flavour of the rum or brandy to enrich the fruits But if you start late therersquos always Plan Brdquo she notesDecorated and undecorated rich fruit cakeNeysharsquos tips1 Substitute the alcohol with orange juice Cook the raisins with the juice and sugar and allow it to cool overnight Apart from this change any Christmas cake recipe and method will remain the same2 A successful cake is a moist cake Once baked pierce the cake with a skewer and pour the leftover juice or rum from the soaking over it3 Taste regularly and tweak the proportion of your spice mix to the results and flavours you likeTo order Rich rum fruit cake decorated with marzipan and fondantCost Rs 2000one kgCall 9820280767Honey I forgot to soak the raisinsPic CourtesyThe Cake JeanieThe Goan baath cake is always made for Christmas is simpler to prepare than Christmas cake and therersquos no presoaking involvedrdquo explain Mohan and Mary Pais from Maladrsquos M amp Mrsquos Kitchen Sharing another bonus the Paises reveal that the decadeold venture is open yearround to take orders for this semolina andcoconut delightBaking with the PaisesBaath cake1 Ensure you whisk the eggs until you get soft peaks before adding them to the dry ingredients This will give you a soft and fluffy cake2 Dissolve the sugar completely in the wet mixture and ensure that there are no lumps or grains left3 Donrsquot go overboard with the vanilla essence or your cake will be bitter A drop or two is enough4 Donrsquot open the oven frequently to check on the cake because the heat will escape and cook the cake unevenlyTo order Baath cakelog on to mnms_kitchenCost Rs 900 onwards for one kgCall 9821239101Debbie Daruwallarsquos trickedup recipe from Nigella LawsonINGREDIENTSgtgt 700 gms raisinsgtgt 300 gms currantsgtgt 100 gms glaceacute cherriesgtgt 150 gms chopped pecans or walnutsgtgt 400 ml bourbon or brandygtgt 300 gms buttergtgt 180 gms dark brown sugargtgt 2 tsp lemon zest gratedgtgt 4 large eggsgtgt 2 tbsp black treacle or molassesgtgt 1 tsp almond essencegtgt 300 gms plain flourgtgt 150 gms ground almondsgtgt 12 tsp ground clovesgtgt 1 tsp ground cinnamongtgt 12 tsp ground gingerMETHODBoil the dried fruit bourbon or brandy in a saucepan Cool cover and steep overnight Preheat your oven to 150 degrees while you prepare your cake tin Cream the butter and sugar beat in grated lemon zest Add eggs beating each addition You can substitute the molasses and black treacle for homemade waterbased caramel Add this with almond essence Sift the dry ingredients Mix the soaked fruit with the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture combining well Fold in chopped pecans Bake for about 105 to 195 minutes Brush the cake with tablespoons of bourbon or brandy Wrap the cake in foil to trap heat and soften the top of the cake Cool and storeCake paradisegtgt The Cake Jeanielog on to thecake_jeanieCost Rs 900 onwards for half kg decorated rich fruit cake with rum Rs 700 for six Christmas cupcakesCall 9819491102gtgt Gailrsquos CakesCost Rs 2010250 gms Jamaican Christmas cake Rs 390250 gms rich plum cake with rum and vanilla glazeCall 9820934167gtgt Firsquos DelicaciesCost Rs 450 for half kg coconut baath cakeCall 9833095655gtgt Rochelle and ClaytonCost Rs 650 for half kg rich fruit cakeCall 9987252923