Christmas isn't complete without plum cakes. Read on to learn what makes it so special during the festive season. And if you’re looking for plum cake online delivery, visit us.

1. Some call them Christmas cakes, some prefer calling them fruit cakes –
but honestly, a plum cake by any other name tastes the same. With
Christmas around the corner, preparations for the ubiquitous plum
cake keep everyone excited. From the ceremonial dry ingredient mixing
ritual and soaking the nuts in alcohol to the actual baking, it’s a long
and arduous journey for the plum cake. But do you know about the
origins of plum cake? Read on to learn more about the Christmas cake
and the one ingredient that makes it special. And if you’re looking
for plum cake online delivery, visit us:
The Origins of the Plum Cake:

2. A bread-like version of the Christmas cake was made as early as the
Roman times, where they mixed barley, honey, wine, and dried fruits
and nuts to concoct an energy bar-like bread to fuel their soldiers.
Legend has it that the Egyptians left fruitcakes in the tombs of their
dead for sustenance during their afterlife journey.
The tradition of Christmas puddings dates back to medieval England
when people abstained from meat, dairy, and sweets during Advent,
i.e., the weeks leading to Christmas. On Christmas Eve, a thick porridge
called plum pottage or porridge was cooked using oats, beef, spices,
and dried fruits. A pudding version of this later appeared during the
Tudor era using suet, breadcrumbs, flour, dried fruits, honey, milk, and
eggs and was called plum pudding.
Somewhere around the 16th century, oatmeal came to be replaced
with flour, and people began to bake cakes, adding sugar (thanks to
colonisation), milk, candied fruits, spices, and dried fruits and nuts. Of
course, plum puddings are still baked and are a little different from
fruitcakes/Christmas cakes.
Until the late 19th century, Christmas cakes were baked for the 12th
night celebrations on the 5th of January. When Queen Victoria banned
12th night celebrations, confectioners began selling their cakes on

3. Christmas cake after decorating them with icing. It was also around this
time that Victorian cooks decorated their cakes with marzipans and
royal icing to display wealth and opulence.
The modern version of these cakes is decadent, rich in dried fruits and
spices, and sometimes coated in marzipan and icing.
The Origin of Plum Cakes in India:
It is believed that the first plum cake was made in 1883 when an English
planter brought back a rich plum cake from England and asked a local
baker, Mambally Bapu, to prepare something similar. Bapu replaced
yeast with a local toddy made using cashew apple and kadalipazham.
The colonial officers had a tough time replicating these cakes as
procuring quality flour, and yeast (baking powder wasn’t invented then)
was challenging. Also, since we did not have a tradition of baking, cooks
had to make their ovens by placing baking tins over sand heated at high
temperatures and placing glowing charcoal on the baking tins.
The Indian version of the traditional English Christmas cake includes
tutti frutti, with some even adding ghee to the cake. There’s another
version called the Allahabadi cake, where petha (candied ash gourd)
and a local marmalade called murabba are added.

4. Why are They Called Plum Cakes When They Don’t
Contain Plums?
We all know that there are no plums or prunes (dried plums) in a
Christmas cake. And yet, they’re called plum cakes! It is probably
because earlier, dried fruits were called plums.
When Should You Start Making Plum Cakes?
During the late 18th and 19th centuries, families of British officers
posted in India, Australia, and other colonies began making plum cakes
months in advance to send to their loved ones. This is probably how the
tradition of Christmas cakes spread all over the world, and the practice
of baking them began.

5. During the 19th century, it became popular to begin preparing the
Christmas cake on Stir-up Sunday, i.e., the last Sunday before Advent.
The tradition remains in many English households where the Christmas
pudding mixture is combined and allowed to sit for the dried fruits to
mellow and mature. Ideally, everyone in the family takes turns to stir
the mix, always stirring from the east to the west.
The dry mixture, i.e., the dried fruits and nuts, must be soaked at least
6-7 weeks before Christmas to ensure they soak well and lend flavour
to the cake. Some people even soak them as early as one year. If you’re
time-starved, consider soaking them a week or two in advance,
although the taste varies vastly. But don’t forget to mix the fruit and
nut mixture to ensure even soaking. Do not soak them in plastic or
metal containers; only dry and sterilised airtight glass containers will
do. Once soaked, you don’t have to place them in the fridge. You can
leave it on in a cool and dry corner at room temperature – no need to
refrigerate.
There’s a lot of conflicting advice about the exact time of making these
cakes. Some chefs suggest baking them two or three months before
Christmas to allow sufficient time for the cake to mature and feed
brandy or rum. If you’re time-starved, it’s alright to bake them a few
weeks ahead; you’ll have enough time to feed the cake. But there’ll be

6. less of a kick because there’s not enough time for the cake to soak in
the alcohol. As for making the cake on Christmas Eve, it may crumble if
you eat it soon after baking. Besides, baking a plum cake isn’t a quick
affair – you must set aside an entire day to ensure it tastes and looks
perfect. The most basic Christmas cake needs around 4 hours to bake,
not to mention the time you’ll need to get everything ready and mix
them.
Modern mums don’t have the time or patience for the elaborate
preparations that go into making this yuletide staple. And that’s why
Greatest Bakery offers to bake them for you. We’ll do all the hard work,
so you can enjoy and share the plum cake with friends and family. All
you need to do is to call us at 9003900374 or visit our website to order
plum cake online.
How Long Do Christmas Cakes Last?
Ideally, fruitcakes can last up to a year because of the alcohol present in
them. The USDA agrees that fruit cakes can last up to one year when
frozen and for up to one month if stored in a pantry. In fact, in 2017,
conservators at the Antarctic Heritage found a 100-year-old fruitcake in
excellent condition – one that looks and smells almost edible. British
explorer Robert Scott probably brought the fruitcake to his expedition

7. to the South Pole in 1912. But that’s not even the oldest cake – that
honour goes to a 141-year-old fruitcake reportedly baked by Fidelia
Ford in 1878!
We’ve Made Christmas Traditions Easy for You With Our
Plum Cake Online Delivery:
With everyone busy with work and family, we understand that it’s not
easy to bake your cake. To ensure you don’t miss out on this ubiquitous
Christmas staple, we have now decided to start plum cake online
delivery.
At Greatest Bakery, we have been making plum cakes since 1970 and
are one of the first bakers to start selling them in Nagercoil. We use the
finest quality ingredients and can even replace alcohol with oranges,
apples, or other non-alcoholic juices.
You may order plum cakes online for your family or send them as a gift
to your friends or relatives – we offer plum cake online delivery to
anywhere in India. Are you looking for the best cake shops in
Nagercoil? Visit us!