Christmas Walnut Plumcake

17/11/2023

The Christmas walnut plumcake is a festive version of the classic plumcake, enriched with nuts and spices that evoke the holiday season. Here’s the recipe with an Italian touch.

Ingredients

250 g of all-purpose flour
150 g of brown sugar
100 g of butter at room temperature
2 large eggs
100 ml of milk
150 g of coarsely chopped walnuts
100 g of diced candied fruit
1 sachet of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180 °C and butter and flour a plumcake tin, or line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream the soft butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until they are fully incorporated into the mixture.
Stir in the grated zest of orange and lemon to give the cake a citrus scent.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture, alternating with the milk, until all the dry ingredients are moist and well combined.
Gently fold in the chopped walnuts and candied fruit using a spatula or wooden spoon.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the top with a spatula.
Bake the plumcake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once baked, let the plumcake cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Curiosity

The plumcake is an Anglo-Saxon creation that has been embraced and adapted in Italy in countless variations. The richness of the walnuts and spices used in this version make it perfect for the winter atmosphere and the culinary traditions of Christmas. In the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, it’s common to add brandy or rum to the mix to intensify the flavor. In Italy, we generally omit the alcohol, but nothing stops you from adding a little to achieve a version more faithful to the original!