Fruit Cake
Every time, I venture to prepare a fruit cake, it feels like I am making it for the first time. Honestly, its the making of caramel which gives me some tense moments, getting it to that dark golden brown color without it going bitter.:)
This fruit cake recipe is adapted from an old magazine. Loaded with dried fruits steeped in rum and wine, richly flavored with aromatic spices, nicely balanced flavors, not too sweet and slightly dense fruit cake is a keeper with flavor, color and texture improving with age.
Fruit Cake Recipe
Baking: approx 1 hr
Makes 2 cakes (8″ cake tin and 8″ loaf tin)
Source: An old magazine
.
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour/maida
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsps baking pwd
2 tsps vanilla essence
5 eggs
3/4 tsp cinnamon pwd
1/4 tsp clove pwd
1/4 tsp cardamom pwd
3/4 tsp shahjeera pwd
1 cup caramel
Preparing dried fruits:
2 1/2 - 3 cups dried fruits (tutti frutti, dried currants, figs, dates, candied lemon & orange peel, golden raisins, preserved cherries, cashewnuts and almonds)
1/2 tsp nutmeg pwd
1/4 tsp clove pwd
3/4 cup dark rum
1/2 cup red wine
For caramel:
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup water
Preparing dried fruits: I prepared the dried fruits a week ahead before baking. Finally chop all the dried fruits and nuts and soak in enough dark rum and red wine in a large jar such that half of the jar is filled. There should be enough room in the jar once the fruits and rum are added, as they will almost double in size. Secure cap tight and keep away for at least a minimum of 24 hours. You can make this a year ahead, 2-3 months ahead or even a week before baking the cake. Do shake the jar once in a while. Longer the fruits steep, better the flavor.
Preparing Caramel: Heat a heavy bottomed vessel and cook the sugar and a tbsp of water on medium high heat. You will find that the sugar will melt and start to change color. Don’t stir, you can swirl the vessel, once or twice. When you find that the color has changed to a little darker golden brown color, turn off heat and place the vessel near the kitchen sink. Immediately, pour half a cup of water very carefully into the caramel and stir to mix well. You will find that the liquid will splash when you pour the water into the hot caramel. So make sure there are no children around the kitchen when are making the caramel and protect your hand by wearing a thick glove. Cool the caramel before adding to the cake batter.
I made 2 batches of caramel, where one batch was a shade lighter than the other. The cake pieces in the second picture of the post is the one made with the lighter golden brown color caramel.
Procedure:
1 Sieve maida and baking pwd.
2 Seperate egg yolks from the whites. In a seperate bowl, whisk egg yolks with vanilla.
3 Beat the butter and powdered sugar till smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolk mixture little by little, alternating with a tbsp of the sieved flour and combine till smooth.
4 Add the spice powders and caramel, combine till well blended.
5 Add the sieved flour in 4-5 batches and combine till well blended.
6 Add the dried fruits (toss the dried fruits in two - three tbsp of flour) and using a spatula, fold it gently into the batter.
7 Finally, whisk egg whites till it forms peaks and gently fold into the cake batter till well combined.
8 Grease the cake tins and line with parchment paper. Pour batter up to half of the prepared cake tins and bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Keep checking from 50 mts itself. Sometimes you might have to bake beyond an hour. So bake at 250 degrees for another 5 to10 mts till the cake is brown and when you insert a knife into the cake, it should come through clean.
9 Once done, cool on a wire rack for 15 mts before removing the cake from the tin and carefully peel the paper. Cool the cake completely before wrapping in a clear plastic wrap. Keep away the cake for a minimum of 24 hours before serving. Slice the cake with a serrated knife.
Note:
1. The cake tastes best if it ripens for at least a week. 2. Caramel can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for a few days. 3. All the ingredients should be at room temperature. 4. Dust dried fruits in flour before adding into the cake batter. This will ensure that they do not sink to the bottom of the baked cake but spread evenly through out the cake. 5. You can substitute rum/wine with apple juice or pineapple juice. 6. Use fresh spices. 7. Line the greased cake tins along the sides also.
Check out more fruit cake recipes at Annita, Shammi, Archana, Bee, Mishmash, Shilpa and Meeta.
My entry to A Fruit A Month - Dry Fruits event hosted by Latha and Lakshmi of ‘The Yum Blog’ and ‘Think Spice - Cinnamom’ event hosted by Sunita.
By sailu • Dec 26th, 2007 • Category: All Recipes, Cakes & Cookies
Thats so beautiful Sailu. I love these fruit cakes :). This looks like the traditional one.
Its the traditional recipe, Shilpa.
That looks gorgeous, Sailu.
Best wishes to you and your family for a happy and prosperous 2008!
looks so yummy! And I know what you mean about the tense caramelizing moments
I feel the same! Have a great year!
Looks good, Sailu. I can almost get the aromas of the fruitcake just from the pictures
Hi Sailu,
All ur recipes r really wondeful!!!! Please could u post the recipe of Hyderabadi Biriyani too(both Veg & Non veg versions)? As I went through ur entire recipe collection, I felt only this was missing. So kindly share the recipe for veg & non veg Hyderabadi Biriyani.
Thanks
Sumi
hey sailu garu
chala santhosamga undi mee posts chusaka….just been waiting from so many days!:) this fruit cake is really so out of this world…tappakunda new year ki try chestanandi!almost roju mee site chustu unta…mee recipes kuda chala try chesanandi…maa ayinaki naa vantalu baga nachayi[we got married few mts ago:)]all the credit goes to sailu garu!! thanks a lot andi!
wishing u n ur family a very happy new year 2008!
take care….byee!
Hi Sailu,
Glad to see you’re back……looking forward to reading and enjoying your lovely recipes again.
Rgds
Brenda
hai sailuji i am very happy that u continued to post recipes again.Thank u once again and Happy new year madam.
Hi sailu,
I’ve been looking for recipe like this for a fruit cake for a while. You make it sound so simple. I am gonna try it this week and post it with pics.Thank you for the lovely recipe.
It looks so moist.
Happy new year to you and the family!
hi sailu,i am new here..i love ur blog.. got into ur blog thru google search..my god u have lots and lots of recipes…expecting more tasty recipes in 2008!
Happy new Year!
Hi Sailu,
It’s good to see a post from you - What a coincidence - I made a fruitcake recently (it was my first attempt at making it). I boiled the fruit and rum mixture briefly instead of aging it - it seems like a shortcut that has been used in some recipes. I will certainly try to use caramel the next time as several recipes use it.
First you got me with the lovely cookies, Sailu… and now this — caramel??? Too yummy
Wishing you a wonderful Happy New Year!
Tried the plum cake recipe. It turned out Real good. It reminded us of our Christmas tradition back Home(Vizag) and the plum cake from Crown Bakery. My husband loved it and was all over it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Are the dried fruits especially high quality or will this recipe work with if they are just generic/regular? Also, just curious - have you soaked the fruits for longer than 1 week?
I have bought the best quality dried fruit available and the recipe will work absolutely fine with the regular dried fruits. I soaked for 8 days.
[...] Fruit Cake - Sailus Kitchen Just check out the pictures of this fruit cake and you’ll want to make this yourself. [...]
Everything on that plate looks amazing!I would love to try this, sounds very simple and nice:)
I’ve made all kinds of cakes except an out and out Fruit cake!! I think I really have to try one out now:) yours looks really pretty!
hey i made this guy an hour back. This cake look very dry and i exactly followed the receipe as is. Any thing that i can do to make it better, I am going to let the cake sit for 24 hrs and see how it comes out. Can i apply some thing on the surface to make it moist. I am not sure if it is really going to be dry or moist? Please let me know.
Regards, Shruthi
It’s alright Shruti. Brush cake with rum or orange juice or a combination of both.
I’ve been looking for fruit cake recipe. Thanks for sharing this recipe.I tried it out this week and it came out well.
I’ve heard a lot about Hyderabadi Biriyani. If you have the recipe could you please share it.
HI SAILU, UR FRUIT CAKE & CHICKEN MASALA BALLS MADE MY MARRIAGE ANNIVERSARY MEMORABLE. THANXS DEAR, U MAKE PERFECT THINGS. U R A GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!
LUV U & UR COOKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Shailaja
This is the first time i am commenting here. You have a superb site with excellent tried and tested recipes. So far i have tried many of your recipes (silent visitor since 2 years) and none have failed.
This cake was excellent. I just finished baking abt 45 min ago. Could not resit and had finally to cut the loaf cake. Demand was high from the boys.
Just wanted to put a note of the baking time. In the ovens here in US, which are actually big and can keep two tins, the round tin was done in 50 min at 325 degrees. The loaf tin took exactly 1 hour and 15 min. Off-course baking times v
ary, This is just for information of the US readers. Thanks Sailu once again. I guess my incomplete comment got posted.
[...] have this perennial marinating jar where chopped nuts steep in a solution of rum and wine. I checked the refrigerator and saw that we had no eggs.*gasp* *gasp* I did read here that [...]
(tutti frutti, candied lemon & orange peel)
Where can one find these items, pl.
Dear Sailu,
Your fruit cake looks delicious. I want to try it. Before i prepare, i have a doubt..if i soak the dry fruits in orange juice whether it can be soaked for 1 week or just one day. Please help me..
..meena.
Its better if soaked longer, atleast a few days.
Dear Sailu,
Yesterday i tried ur fruit cake.It turned out delicious..even i couldnt beleive that i baked this cake or not..its bcoz of ur step by step clear description and all.As u mentioned i soaked the dry fruits in orange juice for 4 days and then used it..Once again thanks a lot..But now iam very eager to learn how to decorate a cake ..pls help me.
regards,
meena
Let me know which OTG you are using for baking and grilling. I am planning to buy one and would like to know the good one available in market. I have a small family consisting of myself , my husband and kid
[...] Sailaja…..Fruit cake [...]
Sailu this was a wonderful recipe and i tried it today…the aroma was good but the cake looked dry. How to get the moist??
This is more of a dry fruit cake, Pooja. You could add a cup of applesauce for a moister cake.
Dear Sailu
your recipes are really wonderful and easy to follow. i hve a small query
regd the fruit cake. the dry fruits that are marinated in the rum/wine
what happens to the liquid. you mention in the recipe that the dry fruits shd be tossed in dry maida. does it mean that the leftover rum/wine shd be thrown away or can it be added to the cake batter or no rum/wine is left over after the dry fruits get throughly marinated in it.
pls reply.
thankyou
madhavi
Sailu,
I just baked a fruit cake mostly from your recipe, but with a few adaptations…This recipe is almost 100% similar to what i would see baked at home. It came out really good. I will post soon & I am going to link back to your recipe if you do not mind.
You have such a wonderful blog, with such wonderful pictures. I visit it often. :o)
Thanks for sharing ….
Hi Sailu,
Would like to know what kind of oven u r using? Is it a conventional one or microwave?
Hi Sailu,
where in India can we get the conventional oven? mostly it would be gas or electric? is there any size variation in ovens? want to have a moderate size for my small kitchen? can u please reply?
OTG (Electric) 14 lts is what I have been using since years. They are available in most electronic stores all over India even in smaller towns. You could opt for a 9 lts one if available or 14 lts. I use Murphy Richards OTG.
Hi Sailu, I am writing here with a couple(err…many) of queries that other readers have already asked.
1. What is candied lemon? Is it readily available in super markets or can it be made at home? Just curious — do you buy these from Karachi/Nilgiris stores in Vizag?
2. Orange peel, can we use fresh orange peel?
Once the dry fruits are soaked in Rum+wine can we leave the jar at room temperature? and can the fruits be taken out of the liquid just before mixing in the cake batter?
You are saying that the dry fruits can be prepared as much as one year ahead. So, do you mean that they will stay soaked in the liquid all through this period?
Hope I am not annoying you with a series of questions. Just wanted to clarify my doubts before venturing to prepare this lovely fruit cake for this Christmas.
Thanks so much!
Candied peel is nothing but lemon/orange peel that has been boiled and cooked in sugar syrup. In Poorna Market, inside there is an old store called ‘Karachi’ which sells most of the ingredients called for fruit cake like candied peel, tutti fruits, dry fruits etc. They might be available at Karachiwala at Siripuram.
You can leave them at room temp and remove at the time of baking the fruit cake. And, yes, they stay soaked year long.
Shri, you haven’t annoyed me at all.
Hope you enjoy baking the cake and relishing it too.
sailu,
I made the caramel syrup today. It turned out little bitter. Do you think it’s okay to use in the cake.
Yes, Meena, go ahead and use it. It shouldn’t be a problem.
Thank you so much for a quick turn around sailu..
Sailu,
I made the cake and it turned out really really good. The only problem is I can’t stop eating it. It’s my breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner…;)