Ingredients: cups Mixed dry fruits - I used apricot, cup Rum - or Double with orange juice, cup Sugar, cup Hot water, cup Vivatta Maida, teaspoon Baking powder, teaspoon Baking soda, Cloves (Laung), Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds, pinch Cinnamon Powder (Dalchini), pinch Nutmeg powder, tablespoons Butter (unsalted), cup Sugar, Whole Eggs, cups Mixed nuts - I used almond, cup Tutti frutti, pinch Salt, Eggetarian diet
Instructions: To begin making Caramel Plum Cake Recipe, soak all the dry fruits in rum or fruit juice like apple juice or orange juice. It is best if you soak the dry fruits for at least a week.On the day of baking, preheat the oven at 350F or 180 degree centigrade.Caramel SyrupTake a hard bottom pan, spread sugar and keep on low medium flame. It will melt down and then change its color to brown. Do not use spoon, just swirl the pan.When color changes to brown, take it out of the stove and add same amount of hot water. Sugar syrup will solidify, keep back on stove and slowly allow sugar to dissolve. Now you can use spoon, it will take 10-15 mins. Cool it.Cake:Drain rum/juice from soaked dry fruits, spread 2-3 tablespoon of flour on this to prevent it from settling at the bottom of pan. Also save any drained rum to pour over the cake at the end.Whisk butter and sugar very well in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and again whisk.Take all the dry ingredients separately- flour, spices, salt, baking soda, baking powder- give a nice mix.Now add dry ingredients to wet ingredients slowly folding well with spatula.Add the drained dry fruit/nuts/tutti fruity and caramel syrup, alternately and fold well with spatula.Grease the baking pan with butter. Pour the cake mix to pan.            Now you can pour the drained rum over the mix in pan, this gives a nice color and flavour.Bake for 40-50 minutes in a preheated oven.After about 30-40 minutes, check if the top of the cake is getting very dark, if yes, cover with aluminum foil and bake further. Check with toothpick after 30-40 mins to see if toothpick comes out dry.Cool completely, better when served next day. Serve Caramel Plum Cake Recipe for snacks, along with Masala Chai Recipe - Indian Spiced Tea and Achappam Recipe | Kerala Style Fried Rose Cookies.