As the year-end festive season draws closer, bakers in Tiruchi are getting ready to prepare significant quantities of cakes that showcase a flavourful mixture of dried fruits, nuts, and candied ingredients macerated in alcohol or fruit juice.
Mixing the ingredients is often a ceremonial occasion for many bakeries where cakes are prepared in bulk.
“The gifting of fruit cakes is a popular tradition during Christmas and New Year. This year, we have received orders for 100 kg of authentic plum cake. Since we use butter, the cakes have a rich taste and must be consumed within three to four days,” S. Nandakumar, co-founder of the Choco Loca cafe in Tiruchi, told The Hindu.
Mr. Nandakumar, a food consultant, supplies festive cakes for wholesale buyers, and said that the plum cake had a fan base in the city. “Our recipe contains mixed spices, seedless black and yellow raisins, dried fruits, prunes, dates, and candied ginger and orange. Last week, we soaked the ingredients in rum and homemade wine, in a special ceremony. They will be ready for baking in a month’s time. We offer non-alcoholic versions of the fruit cake, where we substitute alcohol with the juice of apple, orange, and pineapple, and shorten the soaking period,” he said.
While the old favourites hold strong, many health conscious customers are seeking out lighter alternatives to festive fare, said Malika Asif, who runs the home-based bakery Chef in a Box.
“We have noticed that plum cakes are now on sale throughout the year, so we have tried to diversify into Christmas editions of cakes using beetroot, dates, carrots, and walnuts that are soaked in fruit juice. On request, we prepare cakes with powdered almond, wholewheat, or ragi flour instead of maida,” Ms. Malika said.
Cake Bee, which operates bakeries and restaurants across Tiruchi, Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai, will be offering nougat, plum ‘brookie’, stollen and Kipferl in addition to their festive staples of rich plum cakes and wine cakes. “Most of the items will be on the shelves by early December. We are shipping cookies packed in tins across India this year,” said proprietor P. Sethu Subbiah.
Published – November 27, 2025 05:12 pm IST
