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What goes into the making of the Christmas cake

Staff Reporter

Soaking of fruit ceremonies get under way in Pondicherry

FESTIVE CHEER: Fruit soaking ceremony at the MIHM in Pondicherry. — Photo: T. Singaravelou

PONDICHERRY: With Christmas looming, the soaking of fruit for baking Christmas cakes is under way — especially in hotels, bakeries and institutes of hotel management.

The heady scent of dry fruits soaked in wine, rum and brandy wafts out from bakeries and hotels when one passes a bakery or hotel. Fruit soaking for the traditional Christmas cake is a ceremony which has been in vogue since early Victorian times in Europe bringing cheer to all those involved in it. Forty students of first year B.Sc catering science and hotel management of Mass Institute of Hotel Management (MIHM) in Pondicherry felt the same feeling when they participated in the ceremony on Wednesday.

"According to Western belief if the baked cake comes out well it augurs well for the people for the new year. And we are using the best ingredients for the cakes. We have about 100 kg of orders for cakes from students, friends and well wishers and we have used about 60 kg of dry fruits in the soaking ceremony," said K Sridhar, MIHM principal.

The traditional Christmas cake has a long shelf life as it contains less flour but a lot of well preserved dry fruits soaked in liquor for a month. The brandy and rum, which are added to the wine, are meant to add a bit of sharpness to the finished product.

The dried fruits and nuts that go into the mix include black currants, cherries, cashew nuts, raisins and dates.

To enhance the taste of the cake they also add orange peels, lemon rinds and ginger powder.

"We will start baking by December 21 so that the cakes would be ready for a small party on December 24. We will also be selling some cakes for those who are interested at a subsidised rate — Rs. 120 a kilo," said Mr. Sridhar.

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