Every year I soak dry fruits in rum or brandy by the beginning of November to make fruit cake for Christmas, this year due to some reason I was not able to do so. Christmas is always a month of cakes and cookies and kids were adamant that they want a fruit cake and I was in a dilemma, thankfully I came across this wonderful space and was happy to know that you can actually boil the dry fruits with the butter and water and cool it and mix it with the dry ingredients...ta da...fruit cake is ready. I immediately tried the cake and it came out wonderful.
A boiled fruit cake does not contain alcohol; yet is moist. It does not need weeks to age, just a day or two would do wonders. I brushed some brandy to the baked cake, if you can tolerate alcohol then go ahead otherwise skip it.
This cake is for all those busy men, women out there who very badly want to make a fruit cake, but was not able to soak the dry fruits......Christmas is just around the corner, don't wait anymore to bake this spiced fruit cake for your loved ones.
Some suggestion I would recommend is to increase the water to 1/4 cup or even up to 1/2 cup depending on the need to make it a soft fluffy consistency.
Use dark brown sugar instead of white sugar + jaggery (I always add 1 tbsp of jaggery to 1 cup of white sugar to substitute the brown sugar). But of course if you are short of brown sugar go ahead and add white sugar + jaggery/molasses. Adding dark brown sugar will give a more intense dark color to the cake.
I added a whole cinnamon stick and crushed dry ginger to the ingredients to boil and removed it after it is cooled. You can either powder them or add them like I did.
How I made the cake:
Butter: 150 gm/ 1 1/2 stick/ 3/4 cup.
Sultanas: 200 gm.
Currents: 200 gm.
Brown sugar: 130 gm, I used white sugar + 1tbsp of molasses.
Dry ginger: 1 inch, crushed or can add 1 tsp ground ginger.
Cinnamon: 1 stick, crushed or can add 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
Soda powder: 1 tsp.
Water: 1 to 1 1/2 cup, I used 200 ml cup.
Baking powder: 2 tsp.
Eggs: 2. lightly beaten.
Flour: 300 gm.
Brandy: 1/4 cup for brushing, optional.
Method:
1. In a bowl combine, currants, sultanas, butter...
2. Add baking soda and sugar ( I used white sugar plus molasses).
3. And add water and cook over medium heat until mixture boils and simmer it for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
4. While the mixture is cooling grease two loaf pans and preheat oven to 180 degree C. Combine the eggs and gently beat it with a fork and stir into the cooled cake mixture. Fold in the sifted baking powder and flour. Spread evenly into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour or until skewer comes out clean.
Share this easy fruit cake with your loved ones this Christmas.
An Update:
December 21, 2011.
Today when I made this fantastic cake again I made some changes and the cake came out so moist and brown that it was better than store brought one...I thought I will share with you all some updated pictures. Sabina, a very special blogger friend, did the same way and she had amazing result about which she had commented in the comments section.
I added raisins, little tutti fruti (about 100 gms), and chopped cashewnuts; you can ofcourse add dates, cherries, but only make sure that all the dry fruits do not exceed 500 g.
I added caramelized sugar syrup 1 1/2 cup instead of plain water. Omitted the brown sugar and molasses, just added plain white sugar.
For the spices I added 2 nutmeg along with cinnamon stick, and crushed dry ginger (which I took out after it was boiled and cooled).
This pic was taken just after I added the eggs, baking powder, and flour to the boiled and cooled dry fruits mix. See the difference in color because of caramel sugar syrup. Plus I added 1 or 2 tbsp more water to make it a fluffy creamy consistency.
And the result was just amazing!
I brushed about 1/4 cup of brandy to the cooled cake. If you do not want alcohol you can brush fresh orange juice or wine.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on top...it will cover the cracks and give a more Christmas look to the cake.
Need any more reason for not baking this fruit cake for Christmas???.
Sending to Sinful delights, Bake Fest, Jingle All the Way, Only cookies and Cakes. lets cook for Christmas red and green, Full Plate Thursday, Yummy Desserts 4 New Year..
