Festive and flavorful homemade Eggless Fruit Cake is bursting with cheerful holiday spices and delicious rum-soaked fruits and nuts. It’s a classic Christmas recipe that makes a light, crumbly, and perfectly moist Christmas Cake that you’ll love to enjoy and share all season. No eggs needed!
About Eggless Fruit Cake Recipe
Traditional Christmas fruit cake is a yummy treat made by soaking dried fruits and nuts in rum or wine, and mixing with fragrant spices in a simple from-scratch batter.
To make my eggless version I use a blend of whole wheat flour (atta) and all-purpose flour (maida). This helps to create a wonderfully tender and fluffy cake every time!
Although most of the alcohol will bake out of the cake, it’s easy to adapt this as an alcohol-free recipe if you choose. Substitute rum with Orange Juice or apple juice.
I soak the dry fruits and nuts in rum for 3 days at room temperature before using to bake. However, if you want you can soak in rum for as little as 12 hours or 24 hours, or for even as long as one full year in the fridge.
Table of Contents
Place the dried fruit and rum in an airtight container with a secure lid. If soaking in apple juice or orange juice, then soak in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Here are two other Christmas cakes you should try after you make this easy fruit cake recipe:
- Plum Cake (made with whole wheat flour, apple juice and caramel)
- Wine Cake (made with red wine and mix of dried fruits and nuts)
Fruit cakes take more time to bake. The exact time will vary from oven to oven, but it took my eggless fruit cake about 1 hour to bake at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
I use my favorite dried fruits and nuts in this recipe, but feel free to substitute or add whatever you like for your Christmas cake!
How to Make Eggless Fruit Cake
Soak Dry Fruits and Nuts
1: In a large bowl combine the following nuts and dried fruits:
- ¼ cup of golden raisins
- ¼ cup black raisins (seedless)
- ¼ cup cashews
- 2 tablespoons of dried cherries
- 8 apricots
- 8 to 9 dates, small to medium-sized
Rinse them well and drain thoroughly.
2: Finely chop everything with a knife, or use a food processor to roughly chop.
Keep in mind to finely chop the nuts and dried fruits as larger chunks will cause the cake to crumble while cutting it.
3: Transfer the chopped dried fruits and nuts to a bowl.
4. Now add ¼ cup of tutti frutti and ¼ cup chopped candied orange peel.
You can skip these ingredients if you don’t have them. But candied orange peels, gives a lovely citrusy, bitter-sweet notes in the cake.
5: Pour in one cup of rum, wine, or apple juice.
6. Mix very well and let the dried fruits and nuts soak in the rum for at least 12 hours, or for 2 to 3 days. You can keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Tip 1: If soaking in rum for more than 3 days then transfer to a sealed container and keep in the fridge for up to one year.
Tip 2: If soaking in apple or orange juice, then refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.
7. Here is what the mixture will look like after soaking for 3 days.
Prepare Spice Mix
8: The spice blend in this fruit cake smells and tastes just like the holidays.
For this recipe you need to gather 2 inches of cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 2 allspice, ⅛ teaspoon of grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg powder.
You can also add 2 cloves for an extra festive boost of flavor.
9: Add the spices in a spice grinder or a small grinder jar.
10: Grind the spices to a fine powder, and set aside.
11. At this point you want to go ahead and prepare your Christmas cake pan. To do so grease a 7 to 8.5 inches round pan very well with a neutral oil.
Since this is a moist cake, you can also line the cake pan with butter paper or parchment paper.
Also preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes to get perfectly hot.
Sift Dry Ingredients
12: To make the batter, combine 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour in a sieve over a large bowl.
13: Then add the ground spice powder and ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
14: Sift the ingredients together into the bowl.
Make Fruit Cake Batter
15: Next add the soaked dried fruits and nuts – including the leftover rum – to the sifted dry ingredients.
16: Add 1.5 cups of demerara sugar. You can also use powdered sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, palm or coconut sugar – whatever you prefer!
17: Then add 1 cup of oil and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
18: Gently mix together the ingredients until just combined, making sure to not over-mix.
19: Next, in the same bowl in which dried fruits and nuts were soaked, add 1 cup of soy milk.
Feel free to use dairy milk – or almond milk, cashew milk, lite coconut milk, to make an eggless fruitcake that’s also vegan-friendly.
20: Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar) to the milk.
21: Mix well. Do not worry if the milk curdles a bit.
22: Now sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda all over the milk.
23: Stir gently. The mixture will rise a bit.
24: Pour this milk mixture into the fruit cake batter.
25: Working quickly, use a spatula to combine the mixtures together.
26: It should form a wet batter that is smooth except for the lumps of dried fruits and nuts.
27: Pour the eggless fruit cake batter into the greased pan.
28: Give the pan a gentle shake and tap to level out the batter, using a spatula if necessary to even the top of the cake.
29: As you do not want the batter to reach the very top of the pan, you might need a second pan, like I used here. This is like an extra mini cake for you to enjoy!
Bake Christmas Cake
30: Now bake the fruit cake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on oven size.
31: The eggless fruit cake will have a beautiful golden brown color. Test the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should come out clean.
Allow the cake pan to cool completely on a wired rack or stand before flipping the cake out onto a plate.
Storage
32: Wrap the fruit cake in a cling film or store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
The flavors mature over a period of time and this eggless fruit cake tastes very good after some days. If you stay in a warm climate then keep Christmas fruit cake in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
33: Once cool to the touch, slice and serve the eggless fruit cake with a glass of dairy or plant-based milk, or a cup of Hot Chocolate. You can also serve the fruit cake as a sweet snack.
Expert Tips
- Baking: Remember to preheat the oven for 20 minutes before you bake. The baking time will vary with the type of oven, size and pans you use. Open the oven door after ¾ of the cake is baked. Opening it many times may cause the cake to sunk. If the top of the cake browns quickly, then cover the top with a parchment paper or aluminium foil.
- Milk and fats: I have used soy milk in the recipe. But you can sub it with almond milk, cashew milk, lite coconut milk or dairy milk. Instead of oil you can use butter.
- Candied orange peels: Do add the candied peels (orange or lemon) as they really add some bitter notes to the cake which is otherwise sweet and this is what makes the Christmas fruit cake different from a regular fruit cake. Candied ginger peels also taste good.
- Nuts: Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans are some nuts you can include instead of cashews. You can also use a mix of these nuts.
- Alcohol: The nuts and dry fruits mixture can be soaked in apple juice, orange juice instead of rum. You can also use equal proportions of rum and wine if you want. For orange juice and apple juice keep the bowl in the fridge. If kept outside even for a few hours in a warm climate like that of India, the juices will get spoiled.
- Flour: You can make this eggless fruit cake entirely with whole wheat flour or with all-purpose flour or pastry flour. You can also use whole wheat pastry flour.
FAQs
Yes, you can do that. So, add 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of buttermilk along with 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
Vinegar is important as in combination with the baking soda, it helps in leavening the cake and makes it softer.
For a 1 kg pan, an 8.5 to 9 inches square or round pan should be good enough.
Yes, it is absolutely possible to make this Fruit Cake entirely with all-purpose flour (maida).
Usually, the baking soda is added to the dry mixture. However, in this recipe, I have added it in the milk mixture as vinegar is also added.
Vinegar reacts with baking soda and forms carbon dioxide which aerates the batter. The reaction is profound and effective this way, than the baking soda being added in the dry ingredients mixture.
You can use milk, if making a vegetarian cake. For more vegan options, you can use plant based ingredients like cashew milk, almond milk or even lite coconut milk. But remember, with each of these, there will be a change in the taste.
More Eggless Cake Recipes To Try!
Cake Recipes
Cake Recipes
Cake Recipes
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Eggless Fruit Cake | Christmas Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For soaking
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup black raisins (seedless)
- ¼ cup cashews
- ¼ cup chopped candied orange peels or candied citrus peels
- 8 dried apricots
- 8 to 9 dates – small to medium-sized
- ¼ cup tutti frutti – optional
- 2 tablespoons dried cherries or glazed cherries
- 1 cup rum or 1 cup fresh orange juice or apple juice
For cake batter
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour – 187 grams
- 1 cup whole wheat flour – 120 grams
- 1.5 cups demerara sugar – 250 grams – can also add instead 250 grams brown sugar or 250 grams white sugar or 250 grams powdered sugar/confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup oil or melted butter, use any neutral flavored oil
- 1 cup soy milk or any nut milk or dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
For ground spice mix
- 2 inches cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2 allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder, about 2 to 3 pinches of nutmeg powder
- 2 cloves – optional
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger (ginger powder) – optional
Instructions
Soaking nuts and dry fruits
- Firstly chop all the nuts and dry fruits and take them in a bowl or a jar. Pour rum in the bowl or jar.
- Cover and let the dry fruits soak for 12 or 24 hours or for 3 days. If you have used apple juice or orange juice to soak the dry fruits, then cover the bowl with an air-tight lid or a tightly with a clingfilm wrap and keep in the refrigerator.
- After some hours or every day stir or shake the bowl or jar, so that all the nuts and dry fruits get soaked properly.
Other preparations
- In a spice-grinder or dry grinder, grind the spices listed above, under the heading "for ground spice mix" except for ginger powder. Set aside.
- Prepare a loaf pan or a round cake pan by greasing it very well with oil. You can also line the cake pan with butter paper.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit)for 20 minutes.
Making cake batter
- Sieve the flours, baking powder and the the ground powdered spice mix. You can also add ginger powder at this step. Note that ginger powder is optional.
- Add the soaked dry fruits together with the leftover rum or apple juice/orange juice.
- Add the oil and demerara sugar or your choice of brown sugar or regular white sugar. Also add vanilla extract. Gently mix together the ingredients until just combined, making sure to not over-mix.
- In a bowl or mug add soy milk. Now add apple cider vinegar and stir gently.
- Add baking soda and stir thoroughly. Add this frothing mixture to the cake batter.
- Stir and mix quickly but evenly.
Baking
- Pour in the cake pan.
- Shake the pan lightly so that the cake batter is spread evenly throughout the whole pan.
- Use a spatula to even the top of the cake.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 180 degrees celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 50 minutes to 60 minutes or more or less depending on your type of oven.
- The eggless fruit cake will have a lovely golden brown color. Test the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center and it should come out clean.
- Let the cake pan cool completely on a wired rack or stand before flipping the cake out onto a plate.
Storage
- Wrap the Christmas fruit cake in a cling film or store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
- The flavors mature over a period of time and thus the eggless fruit cake tastes very good after some days. If you stay in a warm climate then keep Christmas fruit cake in the fridge.
Serving suggestions
- Later, slice and serve the eggless fruit cake with a glass of dairy or plant-based milk, or a hot cup of cocoa. You can also serve it as a sweet snack.
Notes
- Baking: If the top of the cake browns quickly, then cover the top with parchment paper or aluminium foil.
- Milk and fats: Instead of soy milk you can use dairy milk or almond milk, cashew milk or lite coconut milk. Instead of oil you can use butter.
- Nuts: Feel free to add nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios instead of cashews. You can also opt to add a mix of these nuts. Also, make sure that these nuts are not salted.
- Candied peels: Do add the candied peels as they really add some bitter notes to the cake which is otherwise sweet and this is what makes the Christmas fruit cake different from a regular fruit cake.
- Soaking: The nuts and dry fruits can be soaked in orange juice or apple juice instead of rum. You can also use equal proportions of rum and wine if you want. If soaking in apple or orange juice then keep the bowl in the fridge. If kept outside even for a few hours in a warm climate like that of India, the juices will get spoiled.
- Flours: This christmas cake can also be entirely made with whole wheat flour (atta) or all purpose flour (maida). You can also use pastry flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- The approximate nutrition info is per slice of eggless fruit cake.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Eggless Fruit Cake recipe from the archives first published in December 2012 has been updated and republished on December 2023.
This is one of my favourite cakes so far, thank you!
Welcome.
made this for our christmas dinner and it was an absolute success, my family loved it!!! thank you so much
Great and thanks for letting me know and sharing this feedback.
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was one of the best cakes I baked. I wasn’t particularly looking for an eggless recipe but didn’t want to go through the hassle of beating eggs and butter and this was perfect.
Substituted lime juice for vinegar and skipped on baking powder as I was out of it, but it still tasted great!
Great! And thanks for sharing the feedback on the recipe. Glad that the cake turned out perfect with the variations you made. Thanks for the rating too.
Hello Dassana
Hope you had a good holiday with family and friends.. I JUST came across your account and wished I found it earlier. I love fruitcake and i saw that you washed your dried fruits. My question is what if my dried fruits come premixed? do I still have to washed it? i find most fruitcakes are quite sweet already and washing it seems like a brilliant idea to get rid of the extra sugar. Thank you for your time.
Pauline
Thank you Pauline. Washing or rinsing it is a good idea. So you can do this. Most welcome.
Hello,
Seems like a great eggless recipe. Have a quick question though. Will this recipe work OK if I use 1 cup buttermilk instead of the 1 cup milk + 2 tablespoons vinegar & add the 1 teaspoon baking soda to the dry mix instead?
Milk and vinegar make buttermilk, so just curious. Is the above quantity correct or should I add 1 cup + 2 tablespoon buttermilk, instead & 1 teaspoon baking soda with the flour and baking powder?
Appreciate your time.
Thanks
Thanks. Do add the vinegar as it will help in leavening the cake and making it softer. So you can use 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of the buttermilk with 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
A slight alteration I have made considering that both buttermilk and vinegar are sour. I also make buttermilk pancakes using similar proportions and I do add some apple cider vinegar to the batter. Hope this helps.
Hi dassana,
Been following recipe for a long time has never dissapointed me.
This time for some reason my cake has a very bitter taste. Is it because I used an artificial flavoured rum. I didn’t use too much of it, 30ml .
Could you tell me why was it bitter, was it because of the artificial flavoured rum?
Could be due to this type of rum. I hope the bitter taste reduces after the cake ages.
I’ll make this one for Christmas 🎄 for sure!!
Do try and I hope you like the cake.
What size cake pan would be apt for a 1kg cake?
8.5 to 9 inches round or square pan.
Can I substitute the spice mix with all spice powder? Would it taste the same ?
Not sure if my mixer would yield a fine powder when the spices are grounded . Please advise .
You could add allspice powder only. The fragrance and flavor will differ as only one kind of ground spice powder is used.
If I add cinnamon cardamom and all spice powder individually how many teaspoon would I need?
You can add about ¼ teaspoon of allspice powder and ¼ teaspoon of green cardamom powder.
Extremely well explained and one of the best eggless plum cake recipe I have ever made and tasted. Thanks a ton Dassana for putting up perfect recipes everytime.
Great to know and thanks a lot for this super feedback and the rating. Have a great holidays.
Hi Mam, This cake looks absolutely delicious and lip-smacking. Moreover, your descriptions are very clear. Thanks for this amazing recipe.
Thank you Harini and nice to know. Most welcome and thanks for the rating too.
Hello ma’am.. I am a huge fan of your blog. I want to know the consistency of the batter of this type of cake. Should it be a ribbon consistency like that of a cake or slightly thicker than that. Thanks in advance.
Thank you Ruchi. The consistency is thicker than the ribbon consistency.
Hi Dasanna,
I have been following your blog and have tried some recipes and cakes. They came out well most of the times and I love them. During Christmas I tried your Eggless Christmas Cake recipe and it came out well. But what happened was when i was following your recipe and at the sieving step with the flour I also added baking soda whereas you have added it at later step with the apple cider and all. So I kept aside that flour mixture with baking powder and soda which i had done by mistake and started all over again with new flour etc. I still have that dry mixture left from the Christmas times, can I make anything with it ? Can I make any kinda Cake or so ? i dont want to waste that flour mixture but not sure what I can make.
preeti, of course you can make any cake with it as the soda will react with any acidic liquid ingredient that you will add later. so lemon juice, curd, buttermilk or vinegar can be used as an acidic ingredient. you can use this same recipe and make a light fruit cake or dates & walnut cake or even just a spiced tutti frutti cake.
But what should be the recipe ????. Can I make this same cake with baking soda added in flour? Or another cake but what should be other quantities!
Sorry to ask again same thing
preeti, its difficult for me to tell you the recipe as baking is all about precision and things can go wrong. i myself have baking disasters when developing and testing recipes. i develop eggless baking recipes and share the recipe only when its successful as far the crumb, flavor and taste is good. you can make this same cake with the soda added in flour. the soda in the flour will still react. so no worries. no need to be sorry. you can ask queries ????
The cake turned out superb. Perfect recipe. Thanks
Welcome Manu
Recipe is so well explained. I tried it in this Christmas and New Year Holidays and the cake came out really nice and tasty.
Thanks Priyanka. Glad to know that you liked the fruit cake recipe.
I baked this cake for Christmas and it came out like a dream. This was the first time I was baking this cake and it was yummylicious!!! Served it to the whole family n guests and got a lot of compliments… many many thanks for the recipe and step by step pics.
Looking forward to more n more baking!
Welcome Rachna. Glad to know this. Thanks for sharing this positive feedback on fruit cake recipe.
Can I make this cake with maida completely?
Yes you can make this fruit cake with maida.
Looking fwd to prepare this.. Baking powder to be added along with baking soda? Cudnt find this info in recipe..
sunitha, baking powder is added in the flours while sifting. baking soda is added in the wet mixture of milk and vinegar. its mentioned in the steps as well as in the step by step pics.
Hi,
First of all I loved ur recipes .. I have one doubt for baking this cake I always keep lower heating rod on ? do I need to keep both heating rod on ?
Thanks,
Nitu
welcome nitu. for this cake, you can keep only the lower heating rod on. sometimes i keep lower heating rod on and sometimes both.
Since I am running out of time, can I soak the dry fruits in rum and wine for only about 30 hrs?
Rangita, yes you can.
Hi,looking forward to baking this cake . However had 2 queries:
1) Do u use the Demerara sugar without powdering as seen in the picture above?
2) Can we use the juice of Nagpur oranges for this or should we use only kinnow oranges?
Ashwini.
1. yes, i have not powdered the Demerara sugar.
2. you can use either of them or any variety of orange juice will do.
Baked it for Christmas,tasted too good. Just felt one thing,the cake despite being cooked tasted a bit wet ..could it be because it was allowed to cool completely in the pan and not on a wire rack after being baked?
thanks ashwini. there no wetness felt in the cake. there is a slight moistness due to the presence of dry fruits. could be the slight wetness would have happened as the pan was not kept on the wire rack. the cake has to be cooled in the pan, but the cake pan should be kept on a wired tray or rack so that the heat is allowed to pass and does not condense in water droplets or moisture when the cake is cooling.
Hi Amit,
I am trying this recipe for the first time 🙂 I have soaked the fruits without the candied orange/lemon – do you think I can add them just before baking?
yes nidhi, you can add them before baking.
Thanks!
Welcome Nidhi
Hi,
I have tried this recipe twice, and it came out very good. This time I made it with orange juice, last year I had used rum. I didn’t have all spice (never even seen it actually), but I added a bit of dry ginger powder (since I also didnt have candied ginger). I really like the spicy notes mixed with orange 🙂
I had a few queries, would appreciate your help on them 🙂
– In usual recipes, baking powder/soda is added to the dry ingredients mix. What is the difference when adding it to milk?
– It feels rather sticky, sticks to bottom of the container (in which i stored it after taking out from the pan), sticks to the knife … what can I alter to reduce this? Perhaps I also should clarify that I use ghee (little less than the quantity of oil) since I do not like the texture of cakes made with oil.
– how many days can it be stored outside, when prepared with orange juice? If made with rum, is it okay to keep it outside? When I had made it with rum last year, it’s taste wore off after 3-4 days 🙁
thanks shalini. dry ginger powder can be added. in fact i have made this cake with both apple juice as well as orange juice. your queries answered below:
– baking soda is added to the milk mixture, as vinegar is also added. vinegar reacts with baking soda and gives carbon dioxide which aerates the batter. the reaction is profound and effective this way, than had the baking soda is added in the dry ingredients.
– since this is a moist cake, it does stick to the bottom of the baking pan after cooling. an option would be to use butter paper or parchment paper at the bottom of the baking pan. i have never had issues with sticking to the container. you can place a foil or a butter paper on the container and then place the cake on it.
– if you live in a cold climate than you can easily keep for 5 to 6 days at room temperature. i usually keep for 3 to 4 days, but the taste of rum is felt more after you keep for some days. in fact i liked the taste of cake after keeping for 3 to 4 days. i live in a city in india which is cool on most months, so obviously december is cold.
Make a recipe on eggless Oreo cake
will try to add. have taken a note on the recipe request.
One more query, should I cover d cake with foil from d very beginning?
nidhi, cover after 20 to 30 minutes. no need to cover right from the beginning.
Hi dear, pls let me know about citrus peels, hv never used it. Should I use fresh orange peels finely shredded? I have baked this cake twice a couple of years back and it came out really really nice. Had not used d peels that time but will want to add it this time.
orange or lemon peels are candied lemon peels – meaning they are coated in a sugar syrup and then dried. do not use orange peels shredded finely. it will make the cake turn bitter. instead of that use orange zest. zest is the grated orange part only of the orange. to get orange zest, use a fine grater or a zester and grate the orange colored part of the skin only. do not grate the white part. with 1 small to medium orange you can get about half to 1 teaspoon of orange zest. so in this recipe you can add 3 to 4 teaspoons of orange zest. it will give some fragrant orangish notes in the cake.
Hi thank u for eggless recipe. Can I try with brandy instead of rum? What is all spice? I have cinnamon ,nutmeg,powder is it enough to use this two power?
you can use brandy. all spice is called as kabab chini in hindi. its alright if you skip it. both cinnamon and nutmeg powder is fine to be used.
Hi Dassana, I baked this recipe with some changes:
I added 1 tablespoon of black treacle & golden syrup each, reduced milk to 220ml and oil to 200ml. APF = 200gm instead of 187gm & reduced sugar to 250gm.
The Cake came out very very delicious but too oily also… Have you tried another method/ingredient to make it look like the cakes with eggs look… nice oilless/dry yet soft and moist.
fine. not sure why the oiliness as this cake was not oily. i have shared two more fruit cake recipes and the texture is like the cakes made with eggs. you can check the recipe links below:
kerala style fruit cake: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-fruit-cake-recipe/
wine fruit cake: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-christmas-wine-fruit-cake-recipe/
your receipes are awesome..always encouraging me to cook more n more..here’s d question that can u plz tel me cooking time n temperature for this receipe in microwave convection mode?
thanks ashwini. you can bake at 170 or 180 degrees celsius. timing i cannot say as each oven is different. so it can take less or more time.
Hi,
Can I substitute sugar with honey? Wat shud b the ratio?
Thanks
Anshika
Welcome Anshika. I won’t suggest to use honey as it becomes toxic on heating.
Hello dear. I always land up to your blog for something vegetarian. A big thanks for lovely pictures and wonderful recipes. Tried this cake for a tea party. Everybody loved it and it vanished in no time. Was so happy. Keep posting such amazing recipes!
thanks huner. glad to know that everyone liked the cake. happy cooking and baking ????
Hi Dassana, Thx for the recipe… i make alot of fruit cake but never tried eggless… pls.tell me do we feed this also after baking with juice…
I am thinking of making use of your recipe without eggs, orange juice to soak the fruits but need advise on feeding (if at all its to be done) … if not done at all woun’t the cake be too dry?
Welcome Kamal. No need to feed the cake after baking. The cake is not dry.
Great recipe. Tried this out and it turned out great. Made only a few tweaks like – added a bit of salt, skipped the tutty fruity and added some pistachios and some nuts.
thank you vini. nice to know that the tweaks or variations you made turned out fine. tutti fruity can can be given a skip.
Hi, I have tried your cake twice in microwave and this time I will make on OTG. Need to know whether both rods should be on or only the lower one
Nishi, you can use either. But if you have a small oven then heat the lower rod. If you have a medium to large oven then use both the rods.
Today I tried the cake in OTG for the first time. It came out perfectly golden brown. Taste is awesome as always though there were few cracks. Probably some issue at my end.
Thanks Nishi for the feedback. The cracks can be due to temperature fluctuations in the oven which happens when the oven door is opened many time. The cake should be checked only after it is ¾ baked.
Hey I have a doubt since I didn’t have dates when I soaked the dry fruits in orange juice can I put dates in the same bowl tomorrow or should I put it separately in 1/2 cup orange juice n let it soak for 12-15 hours n then mix the two bowls and also will not putting cherries be a problem ?
sanjna, you can add the dates in the same bowl and let it soak for more 12 hours. i have used glazed cherries, so no issues with them. i would suggest to use dried cherries and not fresh cherries. if using dried cherries, then you can soak them in orange juice.
Hello,
I am using mix fruit for the cake…how much should be the amount of fruit then?
As i am using one type of fruit mix…not including tutti fruiti, cherries and others separately.
would like to try the recipe later
Thank you
shamila, what type of fruit mix you are using. if the fruit mix has lot of fruits in it, then you can use overall use 1 cup of it. but if there is only two to three types of fruits in the fruit mix, then i would suggest to add dry fruits and candied orange peels.
Hello,
thank you…it got peeled orange skin, cherries, black raisin, golden raisin…about 5 mix of fruit. One cup is good?
fine shamila. then you can use 1.5 to 1.75 cups.
Hi Dassana, can u pls guide me how to bake it in a microwave in convection mode? Though I have soaked the nuts n all, m not quite sure how to bake it in convection mode. Kindly help. Thankyou!
pavni, you can bake in the microwave convection mode of 170 degrees celsius. preheat oven at the same temperature for 15 minutes. then bake the cake. timing will be quicker as in a convection mode the baking is quick and fast. i cannot tell the exact time as various ovens have different temperatures. since the heating element is usually on the top in a microwave convection oven, i would suggest you to cover the pan with aluminium foil after 25 to 30 minutes of baking.
Thankyou! I did that way. The cake was amazingly tasty, all thanks to you :). There was this one small thing, it was moist (slightly uncooked) at the centre-bottom. I baked it for for 2 hours, still. Can something be done?
nice to know pavni and thanks for letting me know. in this case, just baking for some more minutes, would have solved the slightly undercooked part. hope this helps.
Hi..could you please tell me if i want to add eggs..how many eggs are required and at what step shall i add them.also any good quality rum brand that u can suggest since m baking for tge first time.Thanks!
ashima, with eggs the recipe will change as some ingredients that are used as egg substitutes won”t be required. so many changes will need to be done. baking is very specific and the final result depends on the proportion of ingredients used. if even if a small element goes wrong, the cake can be a disaster. so i won’t be able to tell you how many eggs and at which step, as i feel its always better to test a recipe and then share it. also i do not want all your work to go for a toss. for rum, i always use old monk.
Hi Dassana
Thank you so much for the mouth watering recipes..
Would like to know if I can soak the dry fruits in pomegranate juice since I have a pomegranate which is little sour and we are unable to eat it.. So, it might work ..
welcome payal. if the juice is little sour and does have sweet taste, then you can use pomegranate juice.
Hi Dasanna..thank you for this recipe. planning to try this cake this season.Can I know the replacement for rum and vinegar and what quantity? Also, can this be poured as muffins?
Thanks again,
Divya
divyapriya, you can use orange juice and apple juice instead of rum. but with both these juices, soak dry fruits overnight or for 1 day in the fridge. also add the remaining leftover juice in the cake. instead of vinegar, you can use lemon/lime juice or buttermilk or a mixture of curd+water.
you can also check this eggless kerala style fruit cake recipe which does not use any alcohol and is made with apple juice – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-fruit-cake-recipe/
Will try 🙂 Thanks Dasanna. Hare Krishna.
welcome divyapriya. hare krishna.
can we use cranberries also
anita, you can add cranberries.
Hello
I have two questions
first..what should be the temperature of milk before adding vinegar ? Its room temperature or hot milk ?
secondly, whenever i bake in my otg, it sits back.I don’t know why.but I feel may be it’s due to temperature of otg.I mean my otg has two heating rods- at top and bottom.i put both of them on while baking.
is this can be the reason for everytime cake sitting back ?
it would be very kind if u could reply and suggest me something with this problem.I want to make this cake on christmas but scared because cake sits back.
palak,
1. milk can be cold or at room temperature. its not hot or warm.
2. no, this is not the reason. could be incorrect pan size or opening the oven door too many times. try not to open the oven door, unless 3/4th of the cake is done. also do not overmix or undermix the batter.
if any query, then let me know.
Can i bake this in a regular microwave or pressure cooker?
elizabeth, you can try in a pressure cooker. i feel the recipe will work. but microwave i am not sure.
Hi,
Could you advise if apple juice and rum can be mixed for soaking. I soaked for 2 batches and short on rum by 30-40 ml…
Or just let it be :).
Thanks in advance.
Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year to you.
just let it be bhawna. better not mix. wishing the same to you 🙂
Hi Dassana,
Looks really yummmmm.. I will bake this cake for Christmas this year. I want to soak the dry fruits for around 25- 30 days. Can you please tell me if after soaking them in rum, should I keep it in the fridge or should I keep it out?
mekhala, i keep in the fridge. i do not keep outside. since i live in india and the days are warm and sunny even though we are in the winter season. if you live in a cold place where it snows, then you can keep outside.
Thanks Dassana.. will let you know after I bake it 🙂
sure mekhala.
Hi Dassana, I had soaked the dry fruits about a week back in rum. Now I see that nearly all of the rum has been soaked by the dry fruits. Should I add more rum, or 1 cup is sufficient?
no need mekhala, almost all of the rum will be soaked. if more rum is added, the cake will become more boozy 🙂
Hi Dassana,
I had baked the cake last year and it was a hit. Thank you 🙂
This year I had followed your recipe again and have soaked all the dry fruits in rum. They are soaking in it since October. As I checked the recipe now, I see that there are changes that you have made to it. Like, the previous recipe asked for 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, this recipe asks for 1 cup. Please suggest which one do I follow, as I have already soaked the dry fruits in rum. Also, can I make the cake with full maida?
mekhala, i only changed the amount of whole wheat flour to 1 cup and reduced the cashews. you can easily use 3/4th cup as in the previous recipe. yes you can easily make the cake only with maida. don’t worry. the recipe will turn out good. i have made this recipe many times and every year during christmas i bake fruit cakes.
welcome and happy baking.
Also, can you tell me the quantity of all spice powder that I should use? In your recipe you have written ‘2’, is it tsp or tbsp?
mekhala, its just 2 all spice. all spice is also known as kababchini. if using powdered, then add about 1/8th (about one to two pinches) or 1/4th teaspoon.
thanks 🙂
ohhhh Dassana.. I had baked it for Christmas and this was the best fruit cake that I ever had in my entire life 😀 everybody was in appreciation for it and I thank you soooooo much for the awesome recipe.. You made me a star 🙂
welcome mekhala. glad to know that everyone liked the cake. do try some more baking recipes.
Hi dassana, can u suggest if I have to make 1.5 kg cake , how should I concert your current recipe measures. I need to make this urgently. Would appreciate of you could reply soon. Thanks a ton !
tarunpreet, this cake weighs nearabout 1 kg. so take overall 3 cups flour (2 cups atta and 1 cup maida), 2 cups sugar, 1.25 to 1.5 cups milk (vegan or dairy), 1.25 cups oil, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1.25 teaspoon baking soda, 2/3rd teaspoon baking powder and 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract.
dry fruits can be around 2.5 cups. rum will be 1.25 to 1.5 cups rum. spices will be 2 inches cinnamon, 3 to 4 green cardamoms, 3 to 4 all spice, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder.
hope this helps.
Thanks a ton Dassana! You are a gem
hello mam,
can u plz suggest an alternative for Apple cider vinegar.
use regular white vinegar.
Another successful Christmas cake! I used whole-wheat flour, ghee and milk. Baked for 1 hr 35 minutes at 180deg in my OTG. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
thanks a lot nimitha. ghee must have give a nice aroma in the cake.
I have made this cake twice, however, both the time sit was really too crumbly, I could never get proper pieces, I could never cut itwithout it crumbling. Also i noticed it was done in1 hour itself, but since you had given 1 hour 40 mins I kept it for another 30 mins, maybe that is the reason or maybe instead of soya milk I added both the times coconut milk (thick one). also withparchment paper and greasing the pan as well as the paper I still oculd not take out te sides of the paper without some cake sticking to it.
Can you tell me what I can do to avoid these kind of things?
Thank you.
looks like there are less liquids in the cake. thats why after baking it are crumbling. also could be prolonged baking can also make it dry. but i am deducing here, its due to less moisture or liquids in the cake. don’t use thick coconut milk. use thin coconut milk. this could be the reason for the less liquid in the cake. or you can thin the coconut milk by adding some water in it. you can take half-half of thick coconut milk and water and mix it very well. the cake is sticking due to the dry batter consistency. so if the batter consistency is correct, the cake won’t stick to the pan. also wait for the cake to cool down completely, before removing it. otherwise there are chances of it sticking or breaking if removed hot or warm.
I tried it twice, it tastes very good but it turns out to be moist.
the texture will be moist due to the presence of dry fruits. for a less moist cake, you can reduce the dry fruits.
hi maam,
i wanted to make a sauce for the fruit cake…please suggest any fruit sauce/any sauce/topping with which the cake can be topped with or decorated with.
srishti, a caramel sauce with a touch of cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder go very well with this cake. even whipped cream flavored with a bit of rum and vanilla would go very well. you can also add a bit if cinnamon powder or cocoa powder to the whipped cream. for caramel sauce you can check this easy recipe – http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/easy-caramel-sauce/
Thanks a lot ma’am…
welcome srishti 🙂
Hi Dasaana Mam,
I am beginer in baking. I tried your truti fruti cake recipe an turned out superb.same as tried Christmas rum cake recipe it taste good but only problem was it got crumbled i cant cut in nice pieces, plz let me know where were i was wrong.
could be that the mixture was not mixed or folded evenly. the oven temperature could also be an issue. its always best to calibrate the oven temperature. sometimes even though we set the temp to a certain degree, the actual temp inside the oven can be less or more that what we have set the temp.
hai mam my cake not get soft like urs? anything wrong means please tell me mam.and shall i make all ur cookies and cakes using wheat flour ?
saranya, let me know what is the issue. is it the texture, rising of the cake or any particular recipe you follow.
Hi, my cake is in the oven and fingers crossed as the soda didn’t froth ?
I had to change the tin from 6.5 inches to 8 inches as the batter was almost upto the brim in the smaller pan. Hope this cake taste delicious ?
Thank you for the recipe.
soda should froth. i hope the cake turn out good 🙂
Yes, It did and it is delicious.
Thank you
thankyou bhawna 🙂
My first fruit cake turned out awesome thanks to your recipe. This irrespective of a miss in adding vinegar to milk! The cake was over by afternoon! Going to prepare again for new year following the recipe diligently.
thats good to know nimitha. thank you and wish you a happy new year 2015
Hi This cake turned out to be really tasty and it will be on my list of my favourite cakes. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe. Merry Christmas.
thanks manjushri and welcome. wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year.
I made this cake last night and it turned out beautifully! I halved all the ingredients since it was a trial batch, and it worked really well. I reduced the sugar as well, and it was plenty sweet. Thank you for a great recipe!
thanks for the positive feedback JS and welcome. good to know that halving the recipe and reducing the sugar worked well in the recipe.
Excellent recipe.. Just tried..it turned out to be perfect. Thanks a lot:)
thanks bhavisha for this feedback. good to know.
Can I use fresh plums here as well? In that case should I soak them in rum like the other fruits?
you can use fresh plums. no need to soak fresh plums. just add them directly to the batter when you add the soaked dry fruits. before adding, just coat them with 1 to 2 tbsp flour, so that they sink at the bottom while baking.
Hi Komal – firstly many thanks for putting the (vegan) Christmas fruit cake recipe on your site. Mine is in the oven as I write….
This is first time I have made eggless / dairy free cake so I have my fingers crossed.
One point please – my soya milk did not bubble and rise when I added the vinegar and baking soda. Is my cake likely to be a flop?
thanks michael. soy milk should bubble up. if not, then the texture of the cake will be affected. could be the baking soda was near expiry or already expired. i hope the cake comes out well.
Thank you for your reply…
Whenever I made cake,theyddon’tg proper textexture,can you tell me,where I have mistaken??
Need your help to make this Christmas special with homemade cake..
Waiting
welcome komal. let me know which in which recipe you are not getting the texture.
Hi, I baked this cake last sunday for my dad’s birthday. Followed instructions to the T. My first ever cake trial in my new OTG. It came out superb and was an instant hit. Got over within an hour. Actually am so happy. Thanks so much.
wow. thats great. first time baking in a new OTG. i can so well relate. thanks a lot deepu for letting me know and for the feedback.
Hi, great recipe, I’m soaking the fruits in rum now – I just have 2 questions:
1. Do you have any instructions for separating this recipe into 2 cakes, i.e. different baking time, etc?
2. How long will this keep and how should I store it? (thinking of making it in advance for gifts!)
Thank you!
1. if you have a large oven, you can easily bake them in two separate pans, together. if you bake together, the time taken will almost be the same. if you decide to bake separately, then the time taken will be less. about 30 to 40 minutes for one cake.
2. these stay good for about a month in the fridge.
Hi…
Good recipe..
Want to ask…
Which oil can be used?
If I use amul butter,is it ok,would it taste salty??
use a neutral tasting oil like sunflower oil, rice bran oil or you can use olive oil. no with amul butter, it will not taste salty. i have made cakes with amul butter and they don’t taste salty.
Hi, the cake was a winner when I baked it last time. Last time I used orange juice only. Can I use half orange juice and half rum?
thanks sharmila for the positive review. you can use half-half of both orange juice and rum.
Great , plan to bake it this week again! How long can I keep the cake if mixed with juice and rum ? I do like the subtle smell of orange in it. But instead of cherries for decoration, I use walnuts / pecans or both.
about a month in the fridge. you can use walnuts, pecan or both or even cashews or almonds or pistachios. whatever you prefer 🙂
Hi Dasana, i liked recipe and going to try it. Wanted toask can soak dryfruits in orange juice for 3-4 days
surely try aswini and let us know how they turned out? thankyou
Sorry forgot rate the recepie with my earlier comments.
FIVE STAR recepie
thankyou sophia for the 5 star rating 🙂
Dear Dassana,
Christmas cake recepie is absolutely perfect. I was so happy to get perfect moist cake in my first attempt. I am big fan of you.
Only changes I made was: added 3 eggs, 1/3 cup of molasses and 1 Apple grated.
Many thanks and blessings to you and your family.
thankyou sophia god bless you too 🙂 glad your family liked the cake 🙂
Hi..loved the receipe ..i dont have apple cider vinegar ..what I can u instead of that…n can I use tinned cherries
use regular vinegar. you can use tinned cherries.
Can I also use egg in this recipe?
i am not sure priya.
lovely and wonderful cake.hats off for a healthy version.
thanks sujatha.
Hay dassana..ur recipes are just wow and yummy..keep posting recipes…m.gonna try all ur recipes
thankyou nushrath 🙂
Hi,
I’m planning to bake this cake tomorrow. I’ve already soaked my dry fruits in rum. I wanted to know two things:
1. Can i substitute the spice mix with my homemade garam masala? It does have more spices than you mentioned but my mixer cannot grind such a small quantity of spices.
2. Would you know how long it’d take to bake in a microwave oven in convection mode ?
Eagerly awaiting your reply!
chandrika, yes you can add garam masala. it should take 10 to 15 minutes less in the convection mode of microwave oven. but do keep a check.
Hi,
Your recipe is a keeper !
Everyone LOVED the cake !!
It took me about 63 mins for a regular cake and 30 mins for muffins.
I’ve already soaked a much larger batch of dry & dried fruits in rum to make the cake again soon!
Thank you !
🙂
welcome chandrika. glad to know this. thanks for sharing your baking time.
Dear Dassana,
I am planning to try baking this cake tomorrow. This is my second attempt. First attempt was a bit flop. Though it tasted great, I couldn’t cut the cake. It became crumbly. I want to know about dry fruits. I am using tetra juice that too apple. Can I add the soaked fruits right from the refrigerator? Or should I keep it in room temperature for some time?
you can add the soaked fruits from the fridge. no need to bring it at room temperature. happy baking 🙂
Wow! I have been looking for a good eggless Christmas cake and ginger bread recipe forever. And yours are simple and yummy. Thank you for sharing them.
welcome bella. glad to know that you liked the recipes.
Can i use regular tin baking utensils in convection
shubhra, it should be oven safe. please ask the shopkeeper from where you bought it. it should be mentioned on the package instruction also.
Hi mam…I soaked the fruits n nuts in orange juice fr making plum cake…wen I tasted the juice …it s vry bitter..plz help me mam…wat shld I do now…shld I add sugar now or to take away fruits & nuts from juice ? Pl rep me mam
don’t add the orange juice. just add the soaked dry fruits & nuts. sugar anyways you will be adding to the cake. if you add orange juice, the cake will have bitter tones. so don’t add.
Hi, I have some dried fruit soaked in rum and want to make this cake today. What quantity of the soaked dried fruit should I add? Will 1 and 1/2 cup be okay?
shweta, yes you can add 1.5 cups. actually the recipe call for more. but 1.5 cups will be fine.
Hey Dassana Amit, thanks for the prompt reply. I used 1.5 cups of soaked dried fruits plus 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.
The cake turned out to be superb! Your recipe is a keeper!
Thanks a ton! 🙂
welcome shweta. good to know. thanks for sharing your positive review on cake.
Thank you for the wonderful post. Made delicious plum cake in first try itself :).
welcome aravind. glad to know this.
Wonderful recipe.. Made it for last Christmas…. Turned out very very well.., Thankyou!!
welcome reshu. thanks for sharing positive feedback.
Hi Dassanna,
Last month I did plum pudding. Where I soaked dry fruits in rum and brandy.
Is the possible to make the cake with above recipe and adding my soaked dry fruits.
Regards
Sunitha
yes sunitha, you can make this recipe with the soaked dry fruits, which you had soaked before.
Thanxs for ur reply. One more question. Can I use Apple juice as Apple cider is difficult to get in e market.
welcome sunitha. you can use regular vinegar.
Hi dassana,
Thanks for the recipe..I tried this cake 3times…mine is round oven and I kept at 180’c and baked for 3hrs ..it didnt come out correctly..bottom of the cake sticks to the vessel..each time I insert toothpick the batter sticks..ways wrong?the batter or over baking?plzz help..I love this cake very much..I want to correct this..so plzz reply
manaswi, its not the batter but the temperature or the oven. it should not take 3 hours.
Hi Dassana,
Tried this recipe. Cake came out really great. Thanks for a wonderful recipe. Replaced citrus peel ( couldn’t find any)with orange zest which worked out well too.
thanks anu for sharing your positive feedback. orange zest will also work.
This was awesome! We nicely indulged in it for the next 4 days. Only thing is I miscalculated the pan. I used a 6 in spring form pan and it kind of spilled over the rims. And all the while my gut was telling me to half the recipe 🙁
thanks pavithra for sharing positive feedback. usually the batter should be about 2/3rd of the pan. sometime even i make this kind of mistake. it happens with me also. for eggless cakes you can still bring the batter to 3/4th of the pan, since the eggless cakes don’t rise as much as compared to the cake made with egges.
Hi Dassana Amit,
First, a very happy new year to you and yours.
I am absolutely dying to bake this yummy cake. I am a novice baker and posses a regular microwave ( no conv or grill). Can I try this recipe or is this a convection mv or oven recipie only?? If yes (Yaay!!!) then how long do u suggest I bake it for…. Please advise asap!!
Thanks, Radhika
wishing you too a happy new year radhika. this recipe can only be made in the convection mode of microwave oven or in an electric oven. since this is a thick batter, it won’t work in the microwave oven.
This is the best fruitcake I’ve done in my life. I thought it would go wrong, since my cup of tea has 240ml and I baked in the form of panettone. I will do every Christmas from now on.
thats great to know silvia. i am glad. 240 ml won’t make much difference though. wish you a happy 2015.
Very good
Hi Dassanaamit,
i made this cake..it was great success, everyone loved it.. thank you for clearing all my doubts…
wish u guys in advance “Happy and prosperous New Year”
Waiting for black forest cake recipe..
Thanks
Swapna Reddy
welcome swapna. glad to know. wishing happy and prosperous new year to you as well. i will put the black forest cake soon.
Dear Dassana and Amit,
We made this cake on Christmas and it turned out awesome! It took 1 hour and 10 minutes in convection mode at 180 degree C. Thank you for the recipe and wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year.
Cheers,
Reshma
welcome reshma. glad to know. wishing season’s greetings to you and your family.
Hi Dassana,
Many Many thanks for the lovely recipe. I followed your instructions to the ‘T’ and was able to make a delicious, yummy and super moist chritsmas cake using orange juice for my office Christmas Potluck party.
The cake was loved by all my colleagues and was over in no time. Planning to make another cake for a family New Year Party.
Thanks again and wish you a merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2015.
welcome shraddha. glad to know that you all liked the cake. wishing you a merry christmas and happy new year.
Hi, I just baked this cake, and I must say, it’s beautiful! Very soft and moist. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I reduced the amount of sugar a tad, but it was sweet enough for us.
welcome anu. glad to know this.
Hello,
Any alternative for brown sugar? I have white sugar so can I caramelize n use it for brown color? If yes how to do it?
brown sugar gives a good dark color to the cake. you can caramelize too. but just make a light brown. you can skip also. just add powdered sugar. won’t give you a dark color though.
Hi,
Oh, yeah. Don’t mind trying but how to consume these high-calorie goodies all by ourselves!!
Puff pastry, tart, pie, quiche….. There’s so much to learn!
Merry Christmas
we don’t make them everyday. and also they keep well for some days too. of course there is always new stuff to learn. merry christmas to you too.
Hi ive come across this recipe yesterday and wanted to make it tomarrow, do you have to soak the fruits in orange juice?
davina, yes you have to soak the fruits. you can soak the fruits in orange juice or apple juice or rum or wine.
Dear Dassana, I just love your blog. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes. Today I tried this fruit cake recipe of yours. I am a beginner when it comes to baking and this is the second cake I am baking. It dint come out great. I followed the measurements correctly. But i think i did few mistakes. Can you please guide what went wrong. I melted the butter in microwave and while adding it was warm. My dry fruits were kept in fridge and I added directly to the cake mix. These could be the reasons?
Regards
Karthika
thanks karthika. no issues when baking goes wrong. even it happens with me at times. and you are a beginner. so always keep on trying and learning. now for the cake. all the ingredients except milk are at room temperature. the melted butter should have been at room temperature. in microwave cooking, even after you remove the butter from the microwave oven will still be cooking and will be very hot. this hot temperature will affect the cake mixture. the dry fruits mix also should have been at room temperature. but i think its due to the hot melted butter.
Thank you for the prompt reply 🙂 I will definitely keep trying. Wanted to ask you one more thing. I baked the cake in OTG. I feel the temperature adjustment had a role to play. Do you think so? Because the sides were burnt, though edible, even the bottom. It dint come out. It was stuck. And how should I melt the butter, if not in microwave? Thanks a lot for your patience 🙂
welcome karthika. the baking pan and size also makes a difference to the cakes. i suggest to buy good quality baking pans. i use aluminium baking pans as they conduct heat evenly and i never had any issues with the cake or bread getting burnt. secondly in an OTG, keep the cake pan in the center rack. just touching the bottom heating rod, the cake will get burnt from bottom as well as sides. if you keep too top, the cake get browned faster due to the heat from the top heating rods. you can melt butter in the microwave, but let it come to the room temperature or at least let it become warm.
Thank you so much for the guidance 🙂 I did keep it in the center rack. So i think the butter itself is the reason. Thanks again 🙂 Will try this once more and will let you know.
welcome karthika.
Dear Dassana,
I Simply love your recipe i am following it from past three years you have done a great job for vegetarian people and it is awsem may you get all the good luck,wishes and happiness in world Merry Christmas.
thanks sneha for this positive feedback on recipes. wishing you and your family merry christmas and happy new year.
Hi
Tried the recipe once more. Could get a better one this time. Though the browning happened, could save the sides and the bottom.Thanks for your guidance throughout.
Now I know how Gajini Mohd would have felt!
haha… i know. sharing with you. i had five times disasters making puff pastry. i just cannot get it perfect like the ones they serve in bakeries. but not given up. i am still trying. just cover the top with a foil and butter paper. in fact cover the pan when you start baking. then the browning will not happen. also if using an OTG, keep the cake in the center rack.
Hi Dassana
I tried this recipe for the first time on Sunday – didnt have a few of the ingredients on hand like citrus peels and tutti fruitty , and I used prunes instead of dates – it turned out perfect ! Took it to my zumba class for our xmas party and it was wiped out ! The vegetarians specially appreciated the eggless cake and without alcohol.
Thanks again for sharing this wonderful recipe !
Wishing you and your family a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year !
welcome rukhsana. thanks for sharing this awesome feedback on cake. wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Hi
Thanks for the quick responses. Yes, I have seen yr replies dt 16th,18th,21st and 22nd. I am amazed at your patience.
I will bake in a round cake pan this time. Only that I may not have one in the right size. And the full recipe maybe too much for my requirements and I have already baked it twice and not very confident too.
I will try soon and give you a positive response.
Bye and have a nice day!
welcome prema. the full quantity might not come in the cake pan. if you have muffin pans/liners then you can add some batter in muffin pans. i hope this time you managed to bake a good cake.
Hi
I tried this one today, but the end product was too sweet and gooey. I just halved all the ingredients u have mentioned. I dont where I went wrong 🙁
hi shweta, one more reader has halved the recipe and the cake did not come out well. so i think the recipe cannot be halved. possibly this could be the reason.
Hi,
I had explained the problem but I am afraid it got edited!
I tried the recipe again with the same problem -early hardening and browning of the top and bottom too.I kept it covered throughout. I halved the recipe andbaked in a loaf tin.
But when I tested my soda, it frothed up nicely in vinegar but when I mixed the milk and vinegar and added the soda, it didn’t froth enough. Strange but why? Could that have been the reason for the uncooked inside-so much so that I had to scoop it out and bake it to make it edible.
Can I add the soda directly to vinegar and add it to the cake and then add the milk?Please suggest.
I cooked at 170 deg and towards the end at 180 deg.
I want to try it once more! Hope I get it right this time.
You have been very patient, thank you.
hi prema. we got only one comment from you with this email id. there have been one more comment from “prema” but with a different email id. first i thought two different people with same name. but now i think its you as the issue is same. i have already replied to you on dec 18th. just scroll below and you will see my response. as i mentioned more, the halved proportions are not working well. don’t bake in a loaf tin. recently just a few days back, for the first time, i baked cake in a loaf tin (meaning pan which is used for baking breads) for the first time and the center was uncooked. even after baking for a good amount of time, the center was moist. so i think its the loaf pan giving this problem or the proportions. actually the soda should froth in the vinegar and milk mixture. first add the milk to the cake and lightly mix. then dissolve soda in vinegar and stir. then add to the cake mixture. you can keep one temperature, either 170 degrees celsius and 180 degrees celsius through out also. milk can be cold. the other ingredients are at room temperature.
Hiee…your recipe looks lovely…i am going to try it tomorrow…i wanted to ask that can i use fresh grape juice instead of orange juice?
yes. you can use fresh grape juice.
Can I use cherries in syrup in this cake? And what is “all spice” (I’m Brazilian)? Can I use balsamic vinegar or alcohol instead of apple? And what’s Maida and Atta flour?
if the syrup is added, the liquid proportion will increase in the cake. all spice is a spice which is commonly used in cakes, cookies and even in some meat dishes. don’t use balsamic vinegar. which alcohol you plan to use. rum and wine work well. maida is the hindi word for all purpose flour or plain flour. atta is the hindi word for whole wheat flour.
Thank you for the tips dassana. I did not put the cherries along with other fruits and nor will I use the syrup. All spice in Brazil is allspice, it was easy to find. I will use apple cider vinegar it. In the fruit I used orange juice in place of rum. I’ll make the recipe today and tomorrow speak to you as it was.
welcome silvia. yes, all spice should be easy to find. happy baking and do give the feedback.
Hi
Hey, everyone seems to be getting it right but me!
you have not mentioned whats going wrong. if you elaborate it would be helpful.
Hey! Hi Dassana and Amit,
Firstly, I want to tell you guys, You are doing a FANTASTIC job with this web-site especially with the vegan substitutes. I Love You people! I always get just what I want here. I really ask myself each and every time, How does it get any better than this? 🙂
Well, tomorrow is my birthday. And I am planning to make this cake. A few queries:
1. In addition to the dry fruits what you have mentioned, I have added 50 gms of walnuts and 50 gms of almonds? so the soaked material is 100 gms more than the recipe mentioned above. Are there any changes that I need to make in terms of sugar/flour/baking soda, etc?
2. I wish to use Old Monk as my rum to soak. Is that ok? Or is there a different rum?
thanks aruna for the motivating comment.
1. no need to add anything extra. i think the amount of flour will be able to take in the extra almonds and walnuts.
2. you can use old monk. even i have used the same one.
Hi.. I have tried ur recipe. But the cake has cracked in many places. Dono why this has happened, though I followed all the instructions
When a cake cracks it is usually because of temperature changes in the oven caused due to opening the oven door many times during the early stages of baking or due to a high temperature in the oven or using a smaller pan or placing the top close to the top heating element. Not all ovens are the same and the temperature differs as well, so it is better to check or calibrate the temperature with an oven thermometer. I hope this helps.
Hi Dassana
Ironical question but how can this recipe be incorporated along with egg ?
Will appreciate ur quick response. ☺Thanks
with eggs, a few things will change in the recipe. so i suggest to add about 2 eggs and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk. reduce the oil also to 1/3 to 1/2. the batter consistency should be like shown in the pics. so add milk and oil accordingly. no need to use vinegar. then just whisk the eggs till light and frothy and add after step 15. first add eggs and then add milk as required.
Thanks for the recipe. I have bought a new LG MW & will try for this christmas.
welcome nirupama
Hi dassana,
Thank you so much for this lovely recipe. I followed it exactly ( only change was I used all self raising flour and no wholemeal flour ) and in my oven, it baked for 50 mins.
The cake was moist and spongier than a usual dense Christmas cake – i was also thrilled to discover that the cake tasted way better after a few days than on the day it was baked- the flavors seemed to have blended in a lot better and it tastes really authentic .
This was also my first time baking since I became vegan and I am so glad I found this recipe, which is very straightforward for a beginner like me. You have a great website going as well .
I am going to bake this cake again for our Christmas eve dinner with our vegan friends since everyone loves it and I hope it turns out the same – as good as the first time- wish me luck 🙂
Vidhya
great to know vidya. yes the flavors do taste better after a few days. yes the recipe is pretty easy. wish you happy christmas and bright new year in advance. and yes all the best for the second round of baking 🙂
Hi Dassana
A long time visitor to your site and have successfully tried quite a few of the dishes you post. This one is a gorgeous recipe and I intend to try this over the weekend. I am planning on making mini loaves to distribute among friends. Had a bunch of questions. Have my fruit mix soaking so I’d be grateful if you could answer these soon. Here they are-
1. I have a convection microwave oven and I am comfortable baking with it. Thing is it is small. The minis I make will have to be made in batches. So the question is if I can let the batter rest while one batch is baking or does it all have to be used up as soon as we pour the milk+vinegar+soda in?
2. Can this recipe be doubled or halved as is? If not what modifications do you think I will have to make?
3. Is this cake like your regular fruit cake i.e. it gets better with time and can be stored for long? If not how long can it be stored for and consumed before it goes bad?
Looking forward to your reply.
Thanks a ton. You make the culinary lives of so many of us beautiful and enjoyable. Wishing you, your family and this blog a merry Christmas and a lovely start to 2015.
Love,
Keyura
keyura, firstly wishing you too a happy christmas and a merry new year 2015. your queries answered below:
1. the batter cannot be allowed to rest. you have to use it up as soon as mix and pour the batter in the mini loaf pans. what i suggest is proceed till step 15. halve this flour+sugar+oil+dry fruits mixture and keep one half in the fridge. dissolve half of the milk, vinegar and soda. add this mixture to the remaining half of the flour+sugar+oil+dry fruits mixture. bake and then repeat with the half kept in fridge. let the fridge mixture come to a room temperature before you bake.
2. the recipe can be halved. but doubling can be problematic. i would suggest to double the recipe. i can’t even tell the modifications as one needs to try and test.
3. it does get better with time. but if you use dairy milk, then the cake has to be consumed in a few days, about 3 to 4 days. but with soy or almond milk, it can stay for a longer period of time, about 1 week to 10 days. in fact at home, the cake gets over quickly.
hope the answers have helped you. happy baking 🙂
Hi
I tried the recipe yesterday. Though it tasted good, the top and the sides were burnt badly. I did cover the top with butter paper when I found it was browning as the skewer did not come out clean. It took me 50-55 mts as I had added 3/4 th measure of the ingredients.
What do you think would have gone wrong? Can you help me? I want to try a small batch tomorrow.
I baked in an OTG at 180deg c throughout in the middle rack. Will lowering the temperature partially help or can I place a bowl of water to avoid burning?if so, where can I put it?
Can you suggest something?
I am sorry I am troubling you but I am not an experienced baker.
Thank you.
hi prema from what you mention, some proportions have gone topsy turvy. so difficult to tell what has gone wrong with what amount of ingredients. 180 degrees celsius is fine. middle rack is also fine. which pan you used for baking? what were the proportions? would not suggest keeping a bowl of water. but you can lower the temperature to 170 or 160 degrees celsius. baking powder and baking soda need to be used when in their shelf period. i don’t keep them in the fridge. i keep them outside.
just halve the ingredients this time. let me know how the result. you can keep the butter paper right from the beginning. the more you bake, the more you will become experienced in baking. disasters will happen initially, but then one learns from experience. i have had many cake and cookie disasters before but now i am getting things right. touch wood 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I am trying this tomorrow. Can I bake this in a loaf pan and serve as slices. If yes, what should be the consistency of the dough? And any changes that I should make in the proportion of the ingredients?
A quick reply will be appreciated.
Thank you:)
welcome. no need to make any changes in the consistency or the recipe. you can easily bake in the loaf pan.
Hello, thank you for this amazing cake! I’m going to make it for Christmas, and since it’s vegan my brother can eat it. 🙂
I just have one question about soaking with orange juice. The orange juice I bought is the one that sits in the pantry until it’s opened, so it has more preservatives in it than one that needs to be in the fridge. Because of this, is it okay to soak the fruit for more than 1 day? Of course, I’ll have it in the fridge while it’s soaking… Thanks again!
welcome kris. i would suggest to use freshly made orange juice. i don’t know how the preservatives will react with the cake.
Hi Dassana,
I want to try this receipe.Had a few questions before I try.
1.I live in India,Could you tell me where can I get the candied peels or is there a way I can make it at home.
2.Can I soak the dry fruits in Grape juice instead of Orange juice.
3.My cakes normally bake in 30 mins in the oven keeping it on the centre rack.I normally turn on the heat on the top and bottom and turn off the top heat in 10-15 mins once the top of the cake is cooked and the remaining is cooked only on the bottom heat.Is it necessary to keep the top heat turned on and cover the top with foil.
Please reply.
jivika,
1. i got the candied peels from a super store. you can make at home but i have not tried. you can get the method on google.
2. i have never tried with grape juice. you can use apple juice instead.
3. no need to cover with foil. the foil is only used if the top crust starts browning too much. i keep both the top and bottom heating elements on through out the whole process of baking.
P.S. for best results, follow the recipe exactly without varying it much.
happy baking
I love ur recipes but please may u put up metric measurements to avoid ambiguity. It gets very confusing and even when I have tried cross referencing measurements the result isn’t good. I bake very often and with metrics I get wonderful professional like products which some people have bought! So it would be a great help. I need to make an eggless version of this one for my mil so please please please may u help.
thanks for the suggestion vera. i have started adding metric measurements for the recipes i add now. most of the times, when i bake cakes, i forget to measure the ingredients. so it is with this recipe. i shall be making this recipe soon. so will add the metric measurements. will take some days.
Thanks a ton. Will wait for it then. I’m a huge fan of ur blog and specifically come only to ur site since I have a very good hit rate with ur directions! I just hope u post it before Xmas though! 😉
welcome vera. i will make some days before xmas. i always make a fruit cake for christmas as well as new year. will add before christmas.
Hi dassana,
i live in uk….i just want clear my doubts before baking… if i want to use eggs,so can u suggest me how to use n how many eggs. Plain rum or spiced rum…i want to know after soaking dry fruits can i leave bottle in my pantry or in fridge.., i just want to bake for my friends n gift them.. i try ur eggless apple cake came out really well… i baked at fan mode for 180c it took 50mins to bake… so can bake this cake at same temp n before baking i should cover with foil coz my apple cake little heard on top..am very new to baked.. try before other website got flop… but after baking eggless apple cake got confidence tat i can bake
with eggs, some things will change in the recipe. so i suggest to add about 2 eggs and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk. reduce the oil also to 1/3 to 1/2. the batter consistency should be like shown in the pics. so add milk and oil accordingly. no need to use vinegar. then just whisk the eggs till light and frothy and add after step 15. first add eggs and then add milk as required. yes you can keep the bottle in the fridge. plain rum is better. yes in the fan mode, bake at 180 degrees celsius. in fan oven, the top crust gets cooked and browned quickly. so what i suggest is after 15 to 20 mins of baking, place the foil on top. later if you want more browning on top, then remove the foil and bake for 5 to 8 mins just to get a brown top. also in the fan mode, the baking will take less time. so please do keep a check.
Hi amit, thank u so much for ur reply very helpful.. just soaked dry fuits.. need one more help,i got all spice mix powder, how much should i add ? coz u mentioned 2 spice mix..
so i am going to try this recipe before christmas i ll let u know … 🙂
welcome swapna. you can add about 1/8th tsp of all spice powder. i think can even go to 1/4th tsp.
Hi Dassana Amit,
I am the regular follower of your blog. u have magic in your hand your all recipes are just awesome there is no chance of failure once someone follow your yummy and simple recipes blog thanks for your superb recipes…
i am too going to prepare Christmas cake for the first time i have some query about cake 1) how long we can store this Christmas cake? or can we feed some Rum over cake once it done?
thanks shweta for your sweet comment. since it has milk, the cake will stay for about a week in the fridge. yes you can add some rum over the cake.
Hello dassana amit
I like your recipes very much. I want to clear my doubts. Pls help me.What is the difference between maida and self raising flour? what are all ingredients in self raising flour?What is the uses?
maida is just plain flour. self raising flour is flour in which a leavening agent like baking powder is added. salt is also added. so if you use self raising flour then you will have to cut down the baking powder & salt in the recipe which calls for maida only.
Hi, I have dry fruits soaked in rum since last 20 days and have made candid orange peel. Going to use both of them. It should be fine right?
Also can i use Caramel Sugar Syrup in this cake ? Planning to bake in couple of days. Please advise.
yes, both the dry fruits and candied orange peel should be fine. you can use caramel sugar syrup. in that case you don’t add sugar or add some sugar and some caramel syrup.
i will definitely try this recipe, kindly tell more eggless recipes but without milkmaid thanku
thanks renu. you can check eggless cakes recipes below
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-cakes-recipes/
I baked the cake today and followed the recipe to th ‘T’. It turned out fantastic.
The top was a bit crusty, is that the way it’s supposed to be?
thanks minakshi. no the top is not crusty.
I baked the cake today and followed the recipe to th ‘T’. It turned out fantastic.
thanks minakshi for sharing your positive feedback on cake.
what are the measurements of the spices 1 inch of cinnamon etc
the recipe measurements are mentioned right after the step by step pics get over.
I’m in Australia and don’t know what maida flour or all purpose flour is if you could please elaborate for me,
thankyou in anticipation
Maryanne
all purpose flour is plain flour. the flour that we use for making pizza bases or breads and cakes, cookies too. we also call it as refined flour.
Hi
Can I substitute lemon/lime juice for vinegar? Will the quantity be the same?
Thanks!
lemon or lime juice might change the taste overall. you will get hints of lemony flavor. you can add the same amount – 2 tbsp.
This is the best recipe with precise pictures of the entire process . With this type of information how can one make a mistake.
Thanks for being so precise.
Wonderful to have been on this page.
Philip
welcome philip. thanks for your kind words.
Hi Dassana. Thanks for this recipe. I tried and it came out well 🙂 Everyone loved it.
I’ve few questions, so that it can be even better the next time I bake.
1. The rum could be tasted very strongly raw as though it was not baked. Is it anything to do with soaking duration, as I soaked it for 2 full days?
2. At 180 degrees Celsius, the cake got baked within 45 minutes. Since the top layer started becoming too dark and crisp, i feared it would burn and checked with tooth pick and it came out clean. So I stopped baking. And while cutting the cake, the slices didn’t turn up neatly and became powdered at few regions. What could be the reason? I had used butter paper to cover the cake on top and used lower shelf in oven.
3. Demerara sugar could be found as still granules in very few parts of the cake while eating. So if it’s powdered, would the measure of 1.5 cups still hold good?
Thanks,
Anu
thanks anu.
1: soaking duration does make a difference. also if the cake is allowed to mature for 2-3 days, the rum flavor mellows and is not strong as when freshly baked.
2: actually when baking any cake, always use both the top and bottom heating elements and keep the cake pan in the center rack. done this way, it allows for uniform baking and heat distribution. i guess the powdered texture could be due to uneven mixing.
3: actually i have read about this issues with demerara sugar. but i have never had any problem. you can use brown sugar as an alternative. you can use the same amount of 1.5 cups for powdered demerara sugar.
hi Dassana. thanks for sharing this recipe. i am trying it out for this christmas. i have two Qs … 1) the temp you’ve suggested is 180 degree C, right? normally at that temp my cakes bake within 45 minutes. does this recipe really take 1 hr 45 mins to bake?
2) i’ve soaked the dry fruits in apple juice. should i refrigerate the soaked dry fruits. it’s winter here and the temperature is about 12 degrees . the mixture has been out for over 12 hours and i plan to leave it soaked for about 10 hours longer.
thanks!
i have mailed you yesterday night from my tab as not logged on computer. please check your email.
As a vegan I wanted to try this fruit cake without dairy products. It came out really well.thank u so much for the recipe. I powdered the demerera sugar and it was easier. Just wanted to share.
thanks vidhya.
What if I use orange peel? And rose water for soaking dry fruits? Please let me know if I use 2 cups maida – will 50gms each type of dry fruits be right? What will the time for the whole baking process? Lots of questions but please help me out.
you mean fresh orange peel? i suggest to use orange zest. meaning grate the peel and collect the fine orange gratings which is known as zest. you can use zest of 1 orange. will give a mild orangish flavor and taste in the cake. if you add the peels directly then they are bitter. i am not sure of rose water. the whole cake will smell of rose. you can use ready apple or orange juice available in tetra packs. 50 gms will be alright of each dry fruit. the baking time depends on your oven. it can take between 1:20 mins to 1:45 mins. but just check after an hour and keep an eye when the cake is getting baked.
Hey, I have dry fruits soaked in rum previously, it is now in a bottle with rum, can you please tell me how much of this I should use. And can i use self- raising flour, if so how much? and what about the frothy milk mixture? Please reply asap Thank you
2 to 2.5 cups of dry fruits would be fine. you can add about 2 to 21/4 cup of self raising flour. no need to add the baking powder. for the frothy milk mixture you will have to add baking soda. you can reduce it to 2/3 or 3/4 tsp of baking soda.
All spice I dont have..wht to do? I hv powdre form of all d spices..can u tel me d measuremnt?
thats alright if you don’t have all spice. you can add 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, cardamom powder and clove powder.
Hi dassana, tried two batches of this recipe, one with orange juice and one with rum… both turned out really good…thanks so muxh for sharing this recipe… Merry Christmas to you and your family..
thanks archana for trying as well as the feedback. merry christmas to you and your family too.
hey i couldnt find candied peel anywhere but instead i got mango candied fruit..can i use them??
hi akarshi. the taste with mango will be different. but you can add it.
Hi nice recipe, two questions can I substitute apple cider vinegar with something? Can I use any dry fruit of my choice or it has to be religiously the one in your list?
you can use regular white vinegar instead of apple cider. you can use dry fruits of your choice. you don’t have to follow this list religiously 🙂
Thank you sooooooo,……… much Dassana. It’s so kind of u that u helped me in the entire process of baking this cake. I wish I cud post the pic of my cake. It’s little crunchier from the sides but super moist. Yummy…. Wil definitely see ur other recipes also. Again thanks a lot Dassana. Merry Christmas dear!
welcome shally and thanks for sharing positive feedback on fruit cake recipe. merry christmas to you and your family. if you wish then you can send the photo of any recipe tried from the blog to my email or facebook page and i wills share it in facebook page with other readers.
welcome shally. you can send me the pic on my fb page or email me at vegrecipesofindia(AT)gmail(DOT).com i will update it in my fb page. i am glad that the cake turned out good. merry christmas to you too shally.
Hi. I m cooking in conv. Mode in micro. And now I have removed foil also. Shall I inc. the temp. To 200?
okay. no issues. you can easily increase the temperature to 200 degrees C.
Hi Dassana. My cake is in the oven from last one and a half hour but it’s not getting cooked from top. It’s sticky. Please suggest. The temp. Is 180 rite now.
which rack you have kept the cake. keep on middle rack and use both the heating elements i.e top and bottom. you can increase the temperature to 200 degrees celsius.
hey…wonderful recipe..cake seems extremely tempting and i am eagerly waiting for christmas to make this cake…:) please lemme know where can i get candied citrus peels from?
moreover will normal milk and ordinary vinegar help in curdling milk?
hi akarshi, i got the candied citrus peels from a dry fruits shop. usually shops selling dry fruits and spices have candied fruits, citrus peels and tutti frutti. with normal milk also the vinegar will curdle the milk. you can easily use normal milk in this recipe.
Hi Dassana. I have an 8 inch pan (2 inches deep). Should I pour in the entire batter in the same pan or shud I use 2 different pans? And, how much each pan needs to be filled with the batter. Also can I bake this cake for 20 minutes,at 180 degree Celsius and then at 160 deg C and cover with foil and bake for another 30 min or till a skewer comes out clean. Thank you. Waiting for ur reply…..
hi shally, you can use the 8 inch pan. the batter can be filled till 2/3 or 3/4th of the pan. yes, you can bake at two different temperatures. but remember to cover with foil in the latter part of baking.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply Dassana. It really saves time. I have soaked all the ingredients in apple juice and tomorrow I wil b baking this cake. Wil again get back to u if in case I have any queries.
welcome shally. let me know if there is any query.
Hi. I am trying this cake for the very first time. So wanted to clear few things. Firstly, can I use canned apple juice readily available in the market. Since it’s winter time so do I need to refrigerate the soaked nuts.
yes you can use the ready apple juice. no need to refrigerate as it already cold outside 🙂
Dear,
Awsem recipe i simply loved it many thanks to you
Merry Christmas
Best Regards,
R.Sneha Gupta.
thanks and wish you too a merry christmas.
Should candied peels be used or just orange peel in this recipe
candied orange peels. they are sweet as well as bitter. just orange peels will ruin the taste and will be very bitter.
Hi I tried this recipe last night I followed it to the T but fond that he batter was a little runny I usualy make cakes so I new this was not right but still left it as is the cake turned out different from yours the top is little crisp and I do find this cake very sweet even though I only used 1 cup sugar. can u help I am not sure why the texture of my cake turned out different and also what do you do to get the cake a darker colour
if you observe the pics, you can see the batter is not runny. its thick. did the dry fruits soak up all the rum. i had just a tsp of rum left as the dry fruits has soaked everything. so possible this is the reason why the batter must have become runny. the dark color is due to the demerara sugar. even brown sugar will give a dark color. the cake is not very sweet. so am not sure what made the cake sweet.
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for the step by step procedure. Just a clarification, how long does the eggless fruit cake last after being baked in the fridge before use.
Thanks
Irene
hi irene. when i had made the cake, i distributed it to family members. so the whole batch got over. but i think its should stay good for 10-12 days.
The cake in the fridge state will last a long time if you refrigerate it or keep it in an air tight container.
thanks for the response.
Thank you very much for your prompt reply Dassana! I made this cake. It is very tasty. As per receipe instruction I baked it for 1:40 minutes . It seems like little over baked. Next time I will reduce the baking time. For Christmas I am going to make this.
welcome yoga. the baking time varies from oven to oven. so next time you can bake for a lesser time than mentioned here.
Hi Dassana,
I want to try your receipe. I have a question for you. Could you pls let me know whether we can keep this cake for some period of time or have to use it within couple of days? If we can keep it for a while, how do we keep? Either in the fridge or wrap it with foil and keep it outside.
Thanks for your eggless version receipe!
hi yoga…. firstly you have a beautiful name. better to keep the cake in a fridge. you can also wrap the cake and keep in the fridge. or keep in an air tight box or container in the fridge. usually all the cakes and breads that i make, i keep them in air tight containers. you can easily store the cake for more about 10-12 days in the fridge.
Excellent. Today is Dewali & for change I made the fruit cake. I followed the instructions as it is and believe me the step by step texture came out as it is. However I baked it in Convection 40 mts. & further 10 mts with foil cover. The final result was awsome. Only problem was demoulding because it got little sticki in the bottom. Anyways I could manage it. Next time I shall use nonstick mould. But the taste was awesome. Thanks Dassana.
thats great reena and thanks. you can also use a butter paper at the bottom of the pan. removing the cake is better.
Hi Dassana
I love your website so much, that I have become addicted to your food blogs. Everytime I make your recipes confidently when I have parties and get to gathers in my house. Thank you so much. I request you to post the original black forest cake if you have made any time.
ansuya
Hi Ansuya
thanks for this sweet comment.
i have black forest recipe and probably i will post it around christmas time.
Regards
Dassana
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for this lovely recipe.Yesterday I made this eggless christmas fruit cake for my house party and it was appreciated by all. In fact the guest asked me to pack the left over cakes for their home. It was excellent since all of us were vegetarians, eating a cake without eggs was so nice for all of us.
I have a small clarification. Can we reduce the amount of oil which is 1 cup as mentioned by you in the recipe.As we are all above 50 years and having cholesterol, diabetics. If we reduce the oil, what can we substitute in its place for making the cake spongy and soft.
Thanks once again for the lovely cake recipe.
thanks a lot ansuya for the feedback. felt good after reading it.
you can reduce the oil. however in its place you have to add something else which will make the cake soft. usually fruit purees work very well. i suggest using apple puree – so you can use 1/2 cup of oil and 1/2 cup of apple puree. banana puree is also good, but the cake will have the taste of the bananas in it. you can also add pumpkin puree. i have made cakes with both pumpkin and apple puree and they become soft and light.
Dear
Can i use wine instead of rum ?
yes you can use wine.
Thanks for ur quick reply Madam. thanks for ur awesome recipes.
welcome, rekha
Can u plz tell me wht is all spice? is it necessary?
all spice is not necessary. all spice is a kind of spice which is also called as kabab chini in hindi and jamaica pepper in english. in indian food, its basically used to flavor meats while making kebabs. it has a combined flavor of the 4 main spices that we use in cooking – cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper. i have a garam masala which is only made of all spice and dry red chilies. i do have at home. but cannot show you the pic. you can have a look here for more info and the pic – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allspice
Can lemon juice be used in place of vinegar? Thanx for the recipe.
thanks wari. yes you can use lemon juice in place of vinegar
You take so much trouble to show the entire procedure and ingredients.
thanks so much.. ur cakes are awesome…
thanks rose.
Madam,
In para 2 you have stated ” now add some color”. Kindly let me know which color is preferable.
I must say u are taking lots of trouble for perfection of the rcecipe.
shrikant tillu
when i said add some color…its just a way of saying. literally speaking, i have not added any color in the recipe.
Hi! Dassana,
First of all thanks for making an Eggless version as I’m strongly Allergic to eggs… 🙁 Didn’t find a gud one till bumped into yours… 🙂 Tried yr recipe bt had to make some changes though… I tried using normal milk+vinegar+baking soda bt didnot get a frothing mixture finally added some plain soda water along with it to the batter… Finally the batter had the texture like yours… Also i baked the cake in a Bundt pan in convection mode at 170C, it took me approx 1hr 10 mins…. The taste was awsum bt the cake was soft and crumbly… Cud u plz lemme know if i did something wrong while preparing the batter……… Would happy to have yr prompt reply. 🙂
dear ambi, the mixture did not froth as the baking soda did not work. if the baking soda is out of date or not good, then it won’t react with the vinegar and the soy milk. 100% the mixture should froth as this is a full proof chemical reaction. this could have contributed to the cake being soft. once i made a cake with such a baking powder and the cake was dense but soft. the baking powder had not yet expired, but it did not work in the cake mixture. always use fresh baking soda or baking powder when making cakes or muffins.
the baking time depends from oven to oven and also in which pan the cake is being baked. smaller pans take less time. you have not done anything wrong 🙂 happens with most home cooks & bakers.
here is one link that will show you how to test the freshness of baking soda & baking powder: http://www.joyofbaking.com/bakingsoda.html
Thanks a lot for yr help…. 🙂
welcome ambi.
hi, supermoist fruit cake recipe.it cameout well.thankyou somuch Dassana
thats cool swapna. thanks for the feedback.
Oh nice and I can’t believe that it is eggless. Looks gorgeous and I prefer the ideas as well to use soaked dried fruits and candied fruits. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without those ingredients.
Happy Holidays Dassana!
Hi Dassana
My god, what a pain you have taken for this post Kudos to you and your delicious recipe. Wishing you a very merry christmas
Take care
Sunita
thanks sunita. wishing you too a merry christmas.
please advise if we keep orange juice outside for 1 day the taste will become sour….
is it necessary to keep for 24 hours soaking
rgds
hi monika. not much of orange juice will be left after you soak the dry fruits in it. so the cake won’t have a sour taste. you can keep the soaking even for 2 hours to 12 hours. but i would suggest to keep the soaking time more than 12 hours as the dry fruits soak up all the orange juice or rum and become plump and moist. alternatively you can even cook the dry fruits in orange juice to which some sugar has added till the dry fruits become soft.
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe. Could you help me figure out the way to make this cake in the convection mode of a microwave?
Thanks,
Aditi
hi aditi, you can easily make this fruit cake in the convection mode in a microwave oven. there are no changes or alterations in the recipe. just follow the recipe. you can bake at 170 degrees celsius in a preheated oven for 45 mins to 1 hour. do check the doneness of the cake after 45 minutes.
Loved it Dassana. So simple and delicious! Will definitely make it today. I have a 5-year-old at home and she loves helping me out in the kitchen and I love it. She surprises me with small things. 🙂
merry christmas renita and thanks.
Such a beautiful fruit cake! My fruit cake is also almost over so I need to bake another fruit cake now 🙂
Hello Mam
Can u guide what could be added instead of rum??
hello mehak… please read the post and the recipe carefully. i have already mentioned twice that orange juice can be used instead of rum.
Hi,
As a beginner in baking, i ran in to your recipes of most of the eggless cakes and all set to try them out. Before this, I was following other recipes which used condensed milk in place of vinegar/milk /baking soda combo. My cakes always turn out crusty on the top and sides. I bake at 180 in a gas oven. Should I cover the baking dish with aluminium foil while baking to avoid this? Can you please give me your suggestion?
Sharadha
are you referring to cakes made from condensed milk that are becoming crusty. 180 to 200 degrees celsius is a fine temperature for baking cakes or muffins. the cakes can become crusty for a various number of reasons – the size of the pan, the temperature inside the oven, too long baking time, uneven mixing or folding of the cake which leaves the cake uncooked from inside also. you can cover the baking pan with aluminium foil. and when you want to brown the tops lightly, then remove the foil and bake for the last 5 to 7 minutes.
Hey dassana ,
Am trying the recipe today.. had soaked the fruits overnight and I am hopeful it’ll turn out well
I wanted to check with you if you think we could work the same recipe by boiling gently the dry fruits in rum/ orange juice.
Also can we use canned orange juice as well?
you can make the same recipe boiling the dry fruits in rum. i am going to this method this season as i have not yet soaked the dry fruits. i not sure about boiling in orange juice as i have never tried it. instead of orange juice, apple juice can be used. then i think the dry fruits can be boiled in apple juice. canned orange juice will work instead of fresh orange juice.
Thanks for your prompt response. I tried the cake with the fruits soaked in both rum and orange ..and they both turned out well.
1) I wanted to ask you I have soaked the fruits now for 30 hours or so. . Was going to bake for someone but there’s a change in plan and I am seeing her only after few days. Do u suggest I leave it soaked for more time ? If so then should I refrigerate the soaked fruits ? Or let it be outside ..I’m based in Mumbai.
2) I’ve also soaked the fruits along with some chopped almonds..do you suggest that we do this or add the almonds later while adding the flour ?
Do let me know how your recipe turned out with boiling .. how long do you suggest we boil the fruit if we do
thanks for the feedback tarunpreet.
1. keep in the fridge. last year i had soaked the dry fruits in wine for a month and had kept them in the fridge. first few days, i kept out and then in the fridge.
2. its alright if you add almonds along with the soaked fruits. no issues. i have also done before.
3. i still have to make it. today i made eggless orange cake. so in a couple of days, i will be doing this boiling method. the time part i can only tell once i try. but will update a separate post on this recipe. but the boiling is not just alcohol, but other ingredients as well like butter/oil and other ingredients. in fact the cake can me made without alcohol too.
Hey Dassana
Love your recipe !!
Ironical qn .. If i were to add eggs to this recipe , could you guide me how to do the same ?
Thanks
Tarunpreet 🙂
tarunpreet, i have already replied to your query here – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-christmas-fruit-cake/#comment-419389
Hi Dassana
Thanks a lot for the prompt response. I tried your recipe both with rum and orange juice and they both turned out well ! i wanted to check with you :
1) if we have the fruits soaked for 30 hours and planned to make the cake but due to some reason the cake needs to be given after another 4 days or so, then should i refrigerate the marination ? or is it ok to leave it outside in a cool dark place ? I’m based in Mumbai so you know abt the weather here now
2) do you suggest i soak the almond in the rum / orange juice too ? or add it in the end process ?
3) did you manage to make the cake by boiling the fruits and dry fruits and how did it turn out ?
welcome tarunpreet. please go towards the bottom of the comments. i have already replied.
Mam I don’t use rum so what should i use in place of rum???
you can use apple juice or orange juice.