What are the ingredients of a plum cake?
As Christmas season is upon us, time for having plum cakes is here too. It refers to a type of cake preparation which has a lot of dried as well as fresh fruits like raisins, prunes and more mixed in the cake batter.
How does plum cake taste?
Plum cakes have a distinct taste and smell. The traditional plum cake uses dry fruits which are soaked in brandy or rum for several months. Thus, one bite and the taste of alcohol-soaked fruits are evident, making the cake even tastier!
Are plum cakes and fruit cakes the same thing?
Often plum cakes and fruit cakes are considered to be one and the same as the ingredients are not that different. But, traditionally, plum cake preparations start from months before Christmas as the more the dry fruits are soaked in alcohol, the better the taste. Also, plum cakes are mostly associated with Christmas whereas fruit cakes are made all through the year.
Why do we use plum cakes for Christmas?
There are several stories as to why plum cakes started being a Christmas special. In medieval England, people used to make a special Christmas porridge with oats, dried fruits, spices and more. Later this started being used as a cake and more fruits like plums were used in it. This recipe was passed don from generation to generation and made it a Christmas mandatory!
Does plum cake have alcohol?
Plum cakes do have alcohol as one of the key ingredients. The dry fruits used to make the plum cake are soaked in brandy or rum for many months and this gives it the mildly bitter, yet delicious taste. Traditionally, authentic plum cakes have to have alcohol in them.
Why is it called plum bread?
Several people have the misconception that plum cakes are essentially made of the fruit plums. But, all dry fruits are referred to as “plum” and were packed into a tasty loaf. While dry fruits are still not called by that name, the word plum cake or plum bread stuck around.
Does plum cake contain wine?
The best part about a plum cake recipe is that one can use any alcohol they want to. Whatever alcohol goes best with the fruits one has chosen, can be used in the plum cake recipe. So, yes wine is often used in making plum cakes, especially red wine.
What can I use instead of alcohol in a plum cake?
While a traditional plum cake is essentially made with fruits soaked in alcohol, people who want to use something instead of alcohol can use different fruit juices like grape, orange, and others.
Are plums good for health?
Plums are very nutritious and thus very healthy to use in cakes, loaves, and other baked goods. Plums and prunes are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants.
Can you freeze plum bread?
Plum cakes or plum bread can be frozen up to 3 months. It can be wrapped in aluminium foil or plastic freezer wrap.
The price of 650 g Elite Delight Plum Cake lies in the range of Rs. 190 while 500 g of Fresho Signature Plum Cake is in the range of Rs. 350.