Signalling the beginning of Christmas festivities, The Promenade hotel got off to an early start with its cake mixing ceremony on Friday.
Staff members and some of the hotel’s guests joined in the ceremony in which dry fruits and nuts like raisins, black currants, prunes, cherries, dates, cashews, apricots, figs, almonds, walnuts and pecans were mixed in with rum, red wine, brandy and even beer, ahead of the preparation of the traditional Christmas plum cake. Portions of dry fruit and liquor are equal. A pinch of cinnamon powder was also added. This will be allowed to soak in a bin till the second week of December when the cakes will be prepared. “This will generate around 16 to 17 kilograms of cake. Traditionally, the soaking is done around 80 days before the cake preparation,” said Ravi Kumar Reddy, General Manager, The Promenade. The Christmas spread at the hotel will be a European affair, said Executive Chef Prabhu Dhananjayan. “Besides turkey, duck, Yorkshire pudding, plum cakes, cheese cakes, creme brulee, eggnog and other Christmas specialities, we will be having interactive stations where customers can see the preparations live,” he said.
Other hotels and restaurants in town like Hotel Accord, Hot Breads and Hotel Atithi are also expected to hold their cake mixing ceremonies in the weeks leading up to December.
