Christmas festivities are incomplete without the plum cake. But if you are looking for something different, then try these unique offerings from five Bengaluru home bakers...
Jyothi Varne
It’s her mother-in-law’s recipe that Jyothi follows to bake her plum cake. “We use four different liquors — Blender’s Pride Whisky, Old Monk rum, Morpheus brandy and port wine that we make at home,” explains Jyothi who soaks the fruits from January. Once the cake is baked, it is infused with more alcohol while it is still warm. This ensures the liquor is soaked in well. Rs 285 upwards. At Ulsoor. Details: 9916133077
Michelle Gafoor
She is well-known for her plum cake and what makes it special is the moist texture and the subtle flavour of rum which balances the fruitiness of the cake. “I bake over 300 kilos every year. Mixed fruits that are stewed in a sugar syrup are soaked in rum from September. The alcohol adds to the juiciness of the fruits. In addition to this I use generous amounts of butter — this combination makes the cake moist,” explains the baker. From the first week of December small batches of the cake are baked on order and this timely baking ensures Michelle’s cakes are fresh and flavourful. Rs 700 upwards. At Cooke Town. Details: 9845092630
Reshma D’Souza
What’s unique about Reshma’s Christmas offering is that she bakes only plum pudding. “The ingredients are similar but the way it’s made is completely different. I steam it, douse it in alcohol and seal it for a month,” explains the baker. The fruits are soaked in alcohol since June and the pudding is steamed for six hours. “Even when you reheat it at home to serve, it stays moist because I seal it immediately after soaking it in alcohol,” she reveals. Rs 350 upwards. At Langford Town. Details: 9880088454
Priya Vijan
One of the top 40 contestants on MasterChef India 2019, Priya Vijan is known for her plum cake that’s topped with nuts and is baked using unglazed dry fruits. “I don’t buy anything that’s already glazed or is soaked in sugar syrup,” she says. So all the fruits and dry fruits are cut, chopped and soaked in rum at home. “About 25 percent of the fruits are rolled over from last year and this adds to the flavour,” says Priya. Rs 750 upwards. At Mathikere. Details: 9886808899
Parinitha Kamath
This baker is known for plum cakes made with wheat and jaggery. She also offers a non-alcoholic version. “I use freshly squeezed orange juice for the nonalcoholic plum cake and I also make my own orange zest by drying orange peels in the sun,” offers Parinitha. For the traditional version, she uses a mix of rum and brandy to soak the dry fruits for about 20 days prior to baking it. When asked if using wheat flour makes the cake heavy, she says, “Plum cake is a dense cake, so using wheat flour doesn’t really impact the texture. It just makes it healthier,” she explains. Rs 500 upwards. At Girinagar. Details: 9901826097