Angelin's Plum Cake

What you need:

• Dates – 3 cups
• Raisins- 2 cups
• Cherries (From Indian Stores)- - 2 cups
• Broken Nuts-2 cups
• Orange & Lemon Peel- 1/2 cup
• Tutti Frutti or other candied fruits (Optional)- 1 cup
• Brandy or Rum – 1/2 cup
• All Purpose Flour/Maida – 2 cups
• Powdered Sugar – 3 cups(1 cup for caramelizing the sugar)
• Butter – 250 gm
• Baking powder – 2 tsp
• Eggs – 6
• Vanilla Essence – 2 tsp
• Salt – a pinch
• Powdered Spices – 3 tsp (Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, dry ginger)
• Orange juice – 2 tbsp.

What you do:

• Chop the fruits fine.
• Soak them in the alcohol along with nuts and peels 
• Keep in an air tight container for a couple of weeks.
• Caramelize 1 cup of Sugar.
• It can be done by heating a medium sauce pan with 1 cup of sugar and 1 tbsp. of water. 
• Stir in continuously and use only medium heat.
• The sugar will melt first, then gradually becomes a molten syrup. 
• As it gets hotter, it will turn into a dark colored caramel syrup.
• Now slowly add 1/2 cup of water and stir well immediately before it crystalizes back.(Be careful while doing it, for it can splash and may cause severe burns.).
• Stir it well to dissolve completely and allow it to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
• Sift the baking powder and flour few times.
• Now mix the powdered spices and the soaked fruits to the flour
• Note: Before you add the soaked fruits to the batter, toss them in a little flour. This will prevent them from sinking and evenly disperse through cake. 
• Mix well with a spatula and keep aside.
• Beat butter and powdered sugar till light and fluffy.
• Now add the eggs one at a time to the beaten sugar butter mixture with a teaspoon of flour after each egg; beating well.
• Add the flour mixture alternatively with the cooled caramel and fold in.
• Remember do not use a whisk, this can break the fruits.
• Lastly add vanilla essence ,orange juice and 1 tsp of brandy.
• Mix everything well using a wooden spatula preferably in one direction.
• Pour it into a baking pan.(lined with parchment paper).
• Bake it in the oven for 45 minutes.
• Check by inserting a tooth pick and if it comes out clean ,the cake is done.
• If its not done reduce the heat to 250 F and bake for another 10- 15 min or until done.
• When the cake is baked, remove and immediately sprinkle 1 tbsp. of brandy over it - this can enhance the flavor and increases its life span.
• Let it cool.
• Serve with some tea or just by itself.

P.S: If storing, remember to keep it in refrigerator in an air tight container.