In India, a country known for its festivals and rich cultural heritage, Christmas brings forth a special culinary delight.
Ah the season of Christmas! It's that time when the weather turns a bit colder, twinkling lights illuminate the surroundings and the aroma of baked treats fills the air. In India, a country known for its festivals and rich cultural heritage, Christmas brings forth a special culinary delight: the Christmas cake. But this cake is no confection; it represents a blend of flavors and cultures particularly in Kerala, a state renowned for its unique traditions. Allow me to delve into the history behind Kerala’s Christmas cake – a tale that unravels the essence and soul of this festive delicacy.
The baking legacy of Kerala is intriguing, evolving significantly through centuries gone by. Thanks to the Portuguese influence, refined flour and baking ovens had found their way into Kerala. Local bakers eagerly embraced these techniques while infusing their creations with indigenous ingredients and flavors. Thus emerged the Kerala Christmas cake – a masterpiece that seamlessly merges age old customs with innovative gastronomy.
Imagine a cake that goes beyond being a dessert and becomes a representation of the creativity of a region. That's what the Kerala Christmas cake is about. It is dense, moist and indulgent, combining tantalizing spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. The distinct color and flavor come from the sugar. When you add nuts and fruits soaked in rum or brandy to the mix, you get a unique cake.
Making a Kerala Christmas cake involves a process that starts weeks in advance. Raisins, sultanas, currants and candied orange peels are soaked in rum or brandy to infuse them with flavor. Then comes the crucial step of caramel-making that requires precision to achieve the cake’s distinctive hue and rich taste. The batter itself is a combination of butter, sugar, eggs carefully mixed with flour, spices and leavening agents to achieve the perfect texture.
What makes this cake stand out are its ingredients and the techniques employed during its creation. The use of produce like cashews and aromatic spices, paired with traditional methods such as sun drying fruits and nuts, elevates the flavors to another level.
The use of jaggery as a sweetener is another distinctive trait.
Back in November 1883, a merchant named Murdock Brown visited the Royal Biscuit Factory in Kerala. He brought along a sample (Christmas) cake from Britain and asked Mambally Bapu, the owner, to bake a similar cake. Despite never having made one, Bapu accepted the challenge thus marking the beginning of this tradition.
Over time, the Kerala Christmas cake has evolved to cater to different tastes while still preserving its essence. You will come across variants infused with chocolate, coffee or exotic fruits; however, at its core, it remains a spiced up and fruit loaded delicacy that's simply irresistible.
When Christmas approaches, the delightful scent of these cakes fills both households and bakeries in Kerala. And, as we relish the Kerala Christmas cake, let us wholeheartedly embrace its essence: togetherness and joy.