Saturday, Decemberr 23, 2017 11

Coffee and Walnut This Coffee and Walnut hristmas is that time of the year, when Cake is pure joy! The you forget all about diet and restric- aroma of coffee and the tionC and decide to celebrate the festival crunch that comes with by indulging in your favourite food! The walnut makes this cake preparations of the , which a memorable experi- is a quintessential part of the festival begins ence. Serve it with tea much in advance with the soaking of nuts Cake or coffee or a scoop in alcohol so they are not just softened is almost synonymous with of your favourite ice- but also get a delectable taste. During the Christmas. The festival is incomplete with- cream. festival of Christmas, are made not out this dark, flavourful cake loaded with just for family consumption but to be sent nuts. If you want to get the perfect flavour, across to relatives and friends. Infact, most soak the nuts in rum for 2-3 days before Fairy often people get these cakes made from adding them in the cake. These fairy cup cakes are really pretty and you can nearby bakeries. But instead of buying place them somewhere at the centre of the cakes from bakeries where you have no table and they will add to the decor. You control over the quality of ingredients it is can serve these cakes to kids and trust always a good idea to bake your own cake. us, they are going to go overboard You can modify and adjust ingredients as with joy! per your dietary needs. For example if you can replace white sugar with brown sugar, all-purpose flour with wheat flour and eggs with banana or curd for bidding. If you Fruit Cake want to get the same fluffiness in your cake, What is Christmas and do not want to use eggs, you can go for without the tradi- a bottle of your favourite fizzy drink. Just tional fruit cake. mix it gradually, after you have combined You can always together the wet and the dry ingredients. experiment with There is no stereotype for a Christmas this cake by adding cake. It can be soft, crumbly, with egg, with- and replacing fruits out egg, with frosting or without frosting. A of various kinds. You Christmas Cake is usually a fruit cake that can make it look more uses lots of dry fruits and fresh fruits. It can attractive by adding be an orange, a chocolate a strawberry or a icing on top. plain vanilla cake. There are some typical cakes that are being prepared traditionally in different regions like the that uses and scotch whiskey, the Christmas Cupcakes Pumpkin Cake German fruit cake , Buche de Noel Christmas Cupcakes This cake has an of France and the Allahabadi Cake made are traditional unusual softness in India. These cake variations have very Christmas and the best thing much to do with the local cuisine. For that are made much that you can pre- example the Indian Allahabadi cake has a in advance so that pare for kids. The typically Indian taste to it. It is made with there is enough in Classic Christmas Cake rich colour that maida, ghee, , petha, nuts and the pantry for the The classic Christmas Cake has a comes after baking fennel seeds. This Christmas, if you want to visiting friends and very easy recipe. So this Christmas, gives the Pumpkin bake your own cake, here are some popular relatives. instead of buying cake from out- Cake a lovely look. cake recipes prepared during the festival side, make one at home. You can that will make you a pro in the art of baking. decorate your cake with the top- (TOI) pings of your choice. Easy Plum Cake

Method Ingredients 1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. » 150g caster sugar 2. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy with electric mixer. » 115g butter, at room temperature Mix flour and baking powder and sift into creamed » 140g plain flour mixture. Beat in eggs and salt. Mix everything well. » 1 teaspoon baking powder 3. Pour into a greased 26cm round springform tin » 2 eggs and smooth out. Top with the (cut side up) and » 1 pinch salt sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons sugar and . » 12 plums, pitted and halved » 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or to taste 4. Bake in preheated oven on lowest shelf for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool to room » 1-2 tablespoons caster sugar, for sprinkling temperature or serve warm. (allrecipes)