Fruit Cake

Overview
Fruit cake is a must to have treat in Kerala for Christmas. This is my mothers recipe for fruit cake. Each region in Kerala has its own recipe. The caramelized sugar syrup added to the cake batter adds a unique color and flavor to this cake. You can add any dried fruits and nuts of your choice to this cake to give it your own unique touch.

Fruit Cake

Ingredients
Flour 3 cups  + 6 tablespoons for dried fruits
Sugar 3 cups
Unsalted butter softened 4 sticks
Eggs 8 large
Vanilla essence 2 tablespoon
Baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoon
Salt 1 teaspoon
Sugar  1/4 cup for caramelizing
Candied cherries red and green, citron, raisins and cashews finely chopped 3 cups total -  1 cup nuts and 2 cups chopped dried fruits. You can adjust the amount of fruits and nuts to your taste.

Steps
1. Add 2 - 3 tablespoons of water to 1/4 cup sugar in a heavy bottom pan and bring it to  a boil. Keep stirring it till the sugar turns golden brown. Add 4 - 6 tablespoon water to this and bring to boil. Turn off heat and let this caramelized sugar syrup come to room temperature.
2. In another bowl mix the  flour with baking powder and salt and mix well and keep aside.
3. In a bowl mix all the chopped dried fruits and nuts with about 6 tablespoons flour and mix well so that each piece is coated with flour.
4. In a large bowl mix the butter and sugar well till it is fluffy
5. Add one egg at a  time and mix well  till it is well blended and all eggs mixed well.
6. Add the flour mixture little at a time and mix well to make a smooth batter.
7. Add the vanilla essence and the caramelized syrup at room temperature to this and mix well. Mix in the flour coated dried fruits and nuts to the batter .
8. Pour the batter into two 10 inch round pans which are coated with butter.
9. Bake at 350 for about 30 - 40 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.