When it comes to Christmas festivities, let’s just agree that nothing replaces the traditional plum cake. No matter how many more desserts we come across, a dense, sweet, bitter and nutty plum cake is unmatched. It is what makes the festivities of Christmas even more special. This is why whether you attend a Christmas party or visit your local bakery, you'll find plum cakes everywhere. The preparation to make a plum cake at home starts much before the festival. A classic plum cake is usually made with a mix of fruits and nuts infused in alcoholic beverages like rum, wine or brandy for days, or even months, much before the festival. This is the secret behind a slightly bitter taste, as the dry fruits are soaked in alcohol for months, opened only closer to the time of baking. Did you know how plum cake came into being? Read on.
History Of Plum Cake
Plum cake is said to have come into being somewhere in the medieval England, where it was a popular tradition to observe a period of fasting, and abstinence from all sorts of indulgences in the weeks leading to Christmas. It was supposedly to prepare the body for the overindulgence on the day of Christmas.
Traditionally, on the eve of Christmas, a rich porridge-like dish was cooked and eaten to “prepare” for the upcoming Christmas feast. The porridge, is known to have been made with a mix of dried fruits such as plums or prunes, oats, spices and honey, and was called the grandfather of the Christmas — or plum cake. More and more ingredients made its way into the porridge over time. For instance, somewhere in the 16th century, oats were replaced with flour, eggs and butter also made their way into the mix. The tedious task came post this- the batter of all these ingredients were tied in a muslin cloth and cooked in a pot of boiling water for hours and hours, until a dense and fudgey, ball-like structure took place. Proper baking was done instead of this in households that owned an oven back then.
The rich, gooey topping on the cake or pudding was made just a few days before Christmas and was saved until the D-day. It was then served upside down after the meal. While it is unclear why it was called as plum cake, many theories claim that raisins and currants were also referred to as plums in England. And since raisins were used in abundance in the recipe, the cake got its name due to that. Some also believe that the original porridge dish had the main ingredient of dried plums and so it was named after that.
Whatever be the case, we are glad the dish exists. And we can’t wait to nosh upon it on Christmas this year. We are exactly a month away from Christmas, and seems like it is the right time to begin prepping for the traditional plum cake. So, if you too are planning to make some at home, we’ve got the perfect recipe right here.