Rich Fruit Cake (with eggs)

Helllloooo!!! Long time, isnt it? I was really caught up with a lot of things at home front. Had a couple of health issues yoo. I just couldn’t get any time to look at my blog or update the recipes. There are a couple of recipes in the draft folder which are yet to be uploaded. Hopefully I shall get some time to complete them and post it before the yeast ends. So, how have you guys been? All geared up for the holidays? Well, here is another Christmas cake for you all. Got pretty good reviews from those who tasted it. It looks beautiful too.

This is an egg based non alcoholic version of Christmas fruit cake or the plum cake the way it is called commonly. Makes around an 800 gram cake. Bake it and leave it undisturbed for around 24 hours for the flavours to develop and deepen. As always, use good quality ingredients and make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature. This cake is very mildly sweet. You can increase the amount of sugar and jaggery each by a tablespoon or so if you wish to.

Please do try the recipe and share your feedback with me. You can mail me at pradeepa.nair0@gmail.com

Or add your comments in the comments section of the blog.

Till then Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all. Take care…

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour 125 gm
• Salt a pinch
• Brown sugar 40 gm
• Jaggery powder 40 gm
• Butter 80 gm
• Eggs 2
• Orange juice 60 ml (1/4 cup)
• Orange zest 1 tbsp
• Lemon zest 1 tsp
• Cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp
• Clove powder 1/4 tsp
• Nutmeg powder 1/4 tsp
• Ginger powder 1/4 tsp
• Soaked mixed dried fruits 325 gm
• Almonds 40 gm (1/4 cup)
• Cashew nuts 40 gm (1/4 cup)
• Candied orange peel 2 tbsp
• Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp
• Orange extract 1/2 tsp
• Dark treacle 2 tbsp

Method:

• Roast the almonds and cashews and chop them finely.
• Finely dice the dried fruits and dates and soak it in orange juice or grape juice or tea decoction and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
• Beat the butter, sugar and jaggery till it’s pale and creamy. Add the eggs one by one and whip it’s nice and fluffy. Now, add the dark treacle and combine.
• Add the spice powders, leavening agents and salt to the flour and sieve 2-3 times.
• Furthermore, add the orange zest and the chopped nuts to this dry mixture and combine well.
• Now, slowly fold in the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Do not overmix.
• Strain the soaked fruits and remove the excess liquid. You can use it to adjust the consistency of the batter.
• Add this to the cake batter koand fold gently.
• Meanwhile preheat your oven at 150-160 degree Celsius for around ten minutes.
• Grease a six inch cake tin with butter and line the base and sides with parchment paper.
• Pour the batter in to the prepared cake tin and smoothen the top. You may decorate the top with some nuts if you desire.
• Bake for 60-80 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in to the centre comes out clean.
• Remove the tin from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.
• Cool completely and slice only after atleast 12 hours.
• The cake develops flavour after a day of cooling.
• This is not a soft spongy cake. It’s a dense heavy cake, but moist and flavourful.

Notes:

• For the dried fruits, you can use a combination of black raisins, golden raisins, cranberries, black currants, dried apricots, figs, peaches, prunes, candied cherries, candied kiwi etc. Feel free to add or omit any fruit mentioned above.
• Bake such fruit cakes at lower temperature for a longer duration.
• I use both the top and bottom rods with the fan mode on for all my cakes.
• The cake stays outside well for 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container.