From mixing, maturing and resting, there’s more to the Christmas cake than meets the eye. Ankita Jain reports
Mounds of brown dates, black raisins, red cherries, cashew nuts, topped with cardamom, pepper and other secret spices, soak in bottles of liquor and wine, bringing alive the rich tradition of cake-mixing at the Taj Mahal Hotel. As the countdown begins for the much awaited moment, dozens of hands try to open the liquor bottles to pour over assorted dry fruits heaped on the neatly arranged trays. When bottles popped open, the fresh aroma of dry fruits dipped in alcohol filled the air.
Following the hygiene standards of wearing gloves, aprons and caps, a number of in-house guests, staff and invitees took part in the fun-filled event by mixing the ingredients till the dry fruits fattened with the liquor. “It will be kept for maturation for a month now,” says Executive Chef Arun Sundararaj. “This tradition dates back to 17th century Europe, where it marked the arrival of the harvest season. Originally a family affair, it was celebrated within organisations to spread camaraderie and goodwill. Today hotels use the ceremony to welcome the season,” the chef tells us.
When asked about the procedure after the mixing, he explains, “After kneading, the mixture is emptied into large containers and stored till just a couple of days before Christmas, with occasional stirring, to ensure that the nuts soak till they are swollen. The same mixture goes into the preparations of plum puddings too. Topped with crisp caramel, it makes a lip-smacking dessert for any occasion, not just Christmas.”
About 140 kgof fruits along with 30 litres of alcohol went into the process of the whole preparation. “The fermented mix is best after 60 days, but even a month works,” notes Arun.
Talking about the taste, he gushes, “The way nuts, fruits, rum and other ingredients are mixed together makes it an experience in itself. In a span of about a month, all ingredients will mix up in such a way that cake will turn out to be delight.” The baking, which will result into cakes and pudding, will be available for Rs 1500-3000 per kg. “As per the experts, it is best to do the cake mixing at least two months before Christmas so that all the flavours, aroma and textures get appropriate time to soak in and mature,” he continues. The ratio of fruit and the other ingredients in the ideal plum cake has to be 50:50 or at least 45:55. “This decides the price of the cake, lesser fruit ‘cheaper’ cake. The fruits, after the ‘ceremony’, are stored in air tight containers at room temperature,” he concludes.