Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake
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Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake / Kerala Plum Cake

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It's been some time right? No, this time I wasnt lazy, I was a bit busy. I myself cant believe that I was busy, some of my friends were saying “even Maria is so busy these days, what has the world come to” ;) Looks like it'll be like this for the next few days too… So I thought I'll just drop in and say hi and share this recipe for the traditional Christmas Fruit Cake.

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Coming to think of it, I was always a hard core tea cake fan and used to wonder how can somebody like plum cake/fruit cake. It was changed only a few years ago when I baked a fruit cake myself just for the heck of it and I became an instant convert at the first bite itself. But I still don't like the store bought plum cakes that we get back home in Kerala. I think they are overloaded/crowded with raisins. This recipe suits me well, it has fruits but not overpowering the cake portion.

Fruit cake loaf
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Before going into the details of this recipe, let me ask you something. Did you notice our new look? How's it?

Well, if you're thinking I was busy working on the new outfit for MariasMenu, I'm sorry to disappoint you. It's all done by Jose, wait I did my part, actually what I'm good at. Just demanding what I want in the site ;) So if you like it, the credit goes to you know who… me, because the idea is mine right ;)

We've added some new pages like upcoming book, Buzz section & reader's T&T (tried & tested). Please check out when time permits, ok?

So what were we talking about…. right, fruit cake. I got this recipe a few months back from my friend Sumi. It's her mom's recipe. I had this when I visited her and I made sure that she mailed me the recipe in a few days :) I made it first with dates, since I was flooded with dates at that time & was very happy with the result.

One another thing I'm happy about is the color of the cake. The color of the cake very much depends on the color of the caramel you make. I used to play it safe with caramel and always ended up with golden brown color caramel. But in this recipe, it was specifically stated to make a dark caramel & I decided to let my hair loose.

When I tasted the caramel, it had a slight bitter taste and I was worried whether it'll spoil the cake, but nothing like that happened & in fact I'm very happy with the color, texture & almost everything :) Thanks a ton Sumi for sharing your mom's wonderful recipe with me.

Kerala Christmas Fruit Plum Cake
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Update on 13/12/2011: I've got many queries asking about using fruit juice instead of alcohol. One of the readers, Bindu tried an alcohol free version & she was kind enough to share it here. I've given a alcohol free version update in the end. Also please refer to Bindu's comment below. Thank you so much Bindu!

Please see the picture of Fruit cake made by Anupama Antony, based on the above recipe. Thanks a lot Anupama :)

Fruit Cake by Anupama
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Check out other Xmas recipes:

Also check out the Christmas Menu.

Here goes the recipe:

You can see step by step pictures of Caramel Syrup preparation here

Drain the soaked fruits & keep aside. Retain 4 tbsp from the drained liquor. Toss the drained fruits in 1-2 tbsp of flour. (This will prevent the fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake)…

Step 1- Kerala Fruit Cake
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 Beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Keep aside…

Step 2 - Kerala Fruit Cake
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Beat the egg yolks & add the softened butter to it…

Step 3 - Kerala Fruit Cake
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Beat it till it forms a smooth paste. Add powdered sugar to this, gradually. Beat after each addition. When it becomes smooth add vanilla essence & cooled caramel & spice powder & beat again…

Step 4 - Kerala Fruit Cake
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Add the sifted flour in 2 batches. Beat after each addition…

Step 5 - Kerala Fruit Cake
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Add jam & combine…

Step 6 - Kerala Fruit Cake
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Fold in the beaten egg whites in 2 parts & combine till no white streaks are visible…

Step 7 - Kerala Fruit Cake
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Fold in the soaked fruits & 4 tbsp of retained liquor…

Step 8 - Kerala Fruit Cake
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Grease the baking dish (refer notes) & line with baking paper. Pour the batter into the prepared tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 mins or until the skewer inserted comes out clean…

Step 9 - Kerala Fruit Cake
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Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake 212x300 1
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Christmas / Xmas Fruit Cake/ Kerala Plum Cake

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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12 -15
Author: Maria Jose

Ingredients

For Soaking:

  • 3 cups Mixed fruits
  • 1.5 cups Rum / Brandy (I used dark rum)

For Caramel:

  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Water
  • 1/4 cup Warm water

For Cake:

  • 2 cups Plain flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 250 gms Unsalted Butter (1 cup + 2 tbsp, approx @ room temp)
  • 4 Eggs (@ room temp)
  • 2 tsp Vanilla essence
  • 1 tbsp Jam (I used apricot)

For Spice Powder:

  • 2 Cloves
  • 2 Cardamom
  • A small piece Cinnamon
  • A small piece Nutmeg

Instructions

  • Soaking of Fruits
  • I used a combination of sultanas, seedless raisins,currants & candied orange & lemon peel. I didn't chop the fruits & used it as such. You can use dried fruits of your choice. If you are using dates/apricots etc; chop it into small pieces & soak it. I soaked it for almost 1.5 months. Try to soak it for a minimum of 1 week, at least. Shake the jar of soaked fruits once in a while.
  • Caramel Preparation:
  • Combine 1/2 cup sugar & 1 tbsp water in a sauce pan. Heat it & let the sugar melt. When the color of the melted sugar becomes dark brown, remove the pan from fire & add 1/4 cup warm water to this. You need to be very careful at this stage since the water tends to splash & can cause burns. Bring it back to the heat & boil for a few more mins, 3-4 mins. Remove from fire & let it cool completely. You can prepare the caramel in advance & refrigerate it. Check out the caramel picture at Annita's place, if you want to get an idea about the colour.
  • Spice Powder:
  • Grind all the spices with a pinch of sugar, to a fine powder & keep aside.
  • Cake Preparation:
  • Preheat the oven @ 180 C for 10-15 mins, before baking.
  • Drain the soaked fruits & keep aside. Retain 4 tbsp from the drained liquor. Toss the drained fruits in 1-2 tbsp of flour. (This will prevent the fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Sift the plain flour with baking powder & baking soda. Powder the sugar & keep aside. Separate the yolks & white of the eggs. Beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Keep aside. Beat the egg yolks & add the softened butter to it. Beat it till it forms a smooth paste. Add powdered sugar to this, gradually. Beat after each addition. When it becomes smooth add vanilla essence & cooled caramel & spice powder & beat again. Add the sifted flour in 2 batches. Beat after each addition. Add jam & combine.
  • Fold in the beaten egg whites in 2 parts & combine till no white streaks are visible. Fold in the soaked fruits & 4 tbsp of retained liquor. Grease the baking dish (refer notes) & line with baking paper. Pour the batter into the prepared tins. Bake in the pre heated oven for 40-45 mins or until the skewer inserted comes out clean. The baking time can vary depending on the oven & also the size of the tin used.
  • Alcohol free version:
  • Soak 3 cups of fruits in 1.5 cups of fresh orange juice. Leave it overnight @ room temp. The rest of the recipe is same.

Notes

Updated Notes as on 07/12/2015:
You can use same qty of soft light brown sugar instead of white sugar for more colour. You can also add 1 tbsp fresh orange zest along with the dry fruits. Also, you can brush the left over rum over the top of the cake for 2-3 days.
I used a 9 inch round tin & 9 inch loaf tin for baking the above qty. If you feel that the top of the cake is getting over browned, cover it loosely with aluminium foil.You can store the cake @ room temp, in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks. However you can refrigerate it for a month in an air tight container.
The 4tbsp of retained rum added in the end along with the fruits, can be reduced to suit your taste. I like that extra rum taste ;) and hence added 4 tbsp. You can add anything between 1-4 tbsp or skip.
For Bahrain Readers:
I used Heritage brand Mixed fruit packet from Al Jazira supermarket & I used Captain Morgan dark rum for soaking the fruits.
Tried this recipe? Let others know by...mentioning @mariasmenu or tagging #mariasmenu
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365 thoughts on “Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake / Kerala Plum Cake”

  1. Hello – great recipe. I used whole wheat flour instead of maida, and used jaggery instead of sugar. Added some slightly sour curd (1/4th cup). Loved the results ! Got a soft and moist texture inspite of the whole wheat flour

    Reply

  2. Hi Maria, Thanks to you for this super delicious plum cake recipe. I made it for years and it has been relished by all.
    I have a query…..i have a flame oven, but i notice that sometimes the cake sinks when made in a wide pan. Is there anything i can do better?
    Sometimes the borders cook and the centre may have some batter. Pls advise.

    Reply

  3. Hi Maria,
    This recipe is my go to every Christmas for last 7+yrs . I keep getting request to make this plum cake every year. I use the orange juice method when soaking fruits and add a bit of balsamic vinegar to add flavor, color.

    Thank you for this treasure of a recipe!!
    Wishing you and family a Merry Christmas !

    Reply

  5. Hello!

    I have been making Christmas cake for the past few years using this recipe. It has been a super hit among family, friends, and carolers!

    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  9. Hi Maria,

    One more qn pls..the spices are too less to grind in my mixie..do you have a tsp or gram measurement for the same qty after grinding? Thanks
    Anusha

    Reply

  10. Hi Maria
    As per comments white sugar can be replaced with brown sugar-is that with reference to the sugar used in cake or the sugar used in caramel? I prepared caramel syrup with brown sugar and was finding it tough to understand when the color changes et..as it’s already brown. My caramel syrup is nice dark brown and thick like honey…is that how the consistency should be? Thanks I’m advance.

    Thanks
    Anusha

    Reply

  13. Awesome recipe of the perfect plum cake. Each time I tried, it was a hit. Have tried it a few times. I look into no other plum cake recipe, except yours. God bless.

    A quick question. How many kgs of cake do these measurements you’ve mentioned yield?

    Reply

  14. Hi Maria,

    I have been baking christmas cake using your recipe for the last 5-6 years at least. This the perfect recipe for the plum cake according to me. This has the perfect amount of dry fruit to cake ratio and sweetness. I know this recipe by heart, but still I read the whole thing again before baking. So every year I’ll be here a few days before Christmas.
    Your recipe is a hit among many of my friends and relatives. So this year I have got an order to bake 10 cakes. Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Hey Ann,

      Thank you so much for that lovely message :) Hope you enjoy your visit here before Christmas and get a chance to check out other recipes as well. Happy baking and it’s a pleasure to know that the cake is hit among your friends and relatives.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  16. This recipe was posted 10 yrs ago! I have been looking at it on and off over the years and finally made it this year. Came out absolutely delicious and was a hit. Gave some to my neighbors as well. I used store bought sweetened orange juice and soaked my dry fruits and nuts for a day. I used a single 10 inch tin and baked for 70 mins. It is a perfectly spiced tender plum cake. Folding in egg whites made it fluffy and not dense despite all the moisture. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Arch,

      I’m so glad you finally took the plunge after looking at it for years and I’m so happy to hear that it came out well for you :) Thank you so much for sharing your feedback here!

      Wish you a Merry Christmas!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

    • Hi Maria ,
      This recipe is always my go to during the Christmas time.. was wondering if there will be a time difference if I use a smaller baking tin .. a 6 inch ??

      Thanks in advance

      Reply

  17. Hi Maria,

    I love baking your recipe of plum cake every year. I soak the fruits every year in December and use them following year. I have always got a lot of appreciation for it. All of it goes to you !

    I just wanted a quick info , if I can substitute 1 3/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup cocoa for this cake. I know you have not tried it, but what is your suggestion for a chocolate flavour.

    Cheers , Mamtha

    Reply

  18. Hi Maria,

    I use your recipe every year. Made a batch and it came really well. Can we add cocoa? What she be the qty of flour and cocoa ? Please let us know.

    Reply

  19. Hi Maria Chechy,

    Going to try this for the first time, but i really wanted to add some chopped nuts in this. Would that be okay without adding any other wet ingredients? If yes, how much could it be, in grams or cup measurements?

    Reply

      • Hi chechy,

        I was a bit scared so i chopped them and sprinkled on top of the cake batter before baking and it turned out to be perfect! everyone in my family loved it. Having said that, your recipes are the most trustworthy ones, and when followed thoroughly they can never go wrong! Its been around 10 years since I started following your recipes… Thanks a lot for being there chechy..:)

        Reply

      • Hi chechy,

        I was a bit scared since i did the cake before i got your reply, so i chopped them and sprinkled on top of the cake batter before baking and it turned out to be perfect! everyone in my family loved the cake. Having said that, your recipes are the most trustworthy ones, and when followed thoroughly they can never go wrong! Its been around 10 years since I started following your recipes… Thanks a lot for being there chechy..:)

        Reply

  22. Hi Maria, thank you for the recipe. Have soaked the dry fruits in rum a few days back. Could you pls tell me the measurement in grams of the total quantity of soaked fruits required for this recipe ?

    Reply

  23. Hi Maria,
    I tried making the caramel as given in the recipe.Upon cooling it turned out very hard.I had to re heat before pouring it into the batter.However it immediately hardened on pouring.Am I doing something wrong with the caramel prep??

    Reply

    • Hi Mary,

      I think the caramel hardened because of the high temperature. Always make caramel on the lowest temperature, also the temp of water that is added should also be right. Hope this helps..

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • Hello Maria, Thanks so much for sharing the recipie. I made the cake this evening.

        My caramel sauce hardened (I did it on low flame and used exact measurements you mention) after cooling. So I couldn’t add it to my batter.? please could you help me identify what I may have done incorrectly / why this happened?
        Thanks so much!

        The cake looks fine though am yet to taste it. Fingers crossed.

        Sincerely, Mousumi

        Reply

  24. Hi Maria
    Thank you for the recipe.My first attempt at fruit cake so altogether a bit nervous.Can we use caster sugar instead of powdered sugar ?Is powdered sugar the same as granulated sugar but powdered form?

    Merry Christmas

    Reply

    • Hi Manju,

      It’s ok, take it easy, it will come out well :) I think you can use caster sugar, but I don’t know about the measurement (when substituting). Yes, powdered sugar is just regular sugar in powdered form.I’ve given the qty of sugar in the recipe right?

      All the best and happy baking :)

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  27. Hi Maria, excited to be finally trying your cake this Christmas ?. Fingers crossed!!
    Can’t get over the taste of your Christmas cake long ago in Bahrain. It was too good!

    Reply

  28. Hi Maria,
    I love your recipes. I am planning to make this cake for Christmas. I would like to know that what substitute can I use for a 9″ loaf pan as I don’t have one.

    Reply

  29. Hey Maria

    Your blog is really wonderful.2 days I tried out the Sticky toffee cake and it came out really well. Only thing was I had to bake it for 1 Hour for it to be firm. Now am planning to do the Christmas cake. Would like to know if there is a way to reduce the butter in this recipe.waiting for your reply.

    Reply

    • Hi Saritha

      My apologies for the delayed reply. Great to know that you like sticky toffee cake. The baking time may vary depending on a number of factors. About the qty of butter in this recipe – I won’t recommend cutting down the qty, it may affect the taste and texture of the cake.

      Reply

  31. Hi Maria, i have been trying your reciepe every christmas. It always comes well. This year i have been planning to make more number , so i have this question 1 small piece cinnamon and nutmegg can i use 1/4 tsp.

    Reply

  32. Hi Maria, I was wondering if there will be a difference in the texture of the cake if I follow the normal creaming method ( sugar+butter and then yolks) instead of mixing butter and yolks as you have mentioned in the recipe!
    Thanks ?

    Reply

  35. Hi Maria..loved your recipe…I had one doubt , the cake from the 9 inch loaf pan will be approx 1 kg and what will be the approx weight of cake from the 9 inch round pan ?

    Reply

  36. Hi Maria,

    Thanks for this awesome recipe. I used rum for the cake and it came out well. Could you please tell me the shelf life of this plum cake.

    Regards,
    Aparna

    Reply

    • Hi Aparna,

      You are welcome! Really happy to know that the cake came out well for you :) Since it uses rum, the cake has a longer shelf life. You can easily store it for 2 weeks at room temp, unless you are living in an extremely humid / hot place.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  38. Hai Maria,
    Merry Christmas.
    Tried your fruit cake recipe and it was good. And this is first I made a cake – my elder son doesn’t like fruit cakes usually but this one he liked.
    Thanks a lot for the recipe.

    Reply

  40. Hi Maria, My Christmas Cakes after cooling have a sticky top.I do brush my cakes with the rum I soaked the fruits in right after I remove the cake from the oven.
    Any tips on how to avoid the sticky top? TIA

    Reply

  41. Dear Maria, I am a novice in baking.. just a doubt.. the above qty is for two cakes rt? 9” round pan and 9 ” loaf pan? i need to fill accordingly i blve?

    Reply

  44. Dear Maria,
    Thanks for this wonderful recipe.I tried this recipe and cake came out really tasty. Never thought i could bake a delicious plum cake at home.
    Thanks
    Elizabeth

    Reply

  45. Hi Maria,

    Thank you for this great fruit cake.
    Is it possible to confirm the measurements in ml rather than cups. I end up messing it up when I use cup measurements ?

    Regards,
    Sini

    Reply

      • Hi Maria,

        So ive still taken my chances with the cup measurement, and the cake tastes yummy with the brandy soaked fruits. Perfect taste.
        However the cake seemed a bit wet on the inside, is this because the fruits were soaked in excess brandy, I used 1.5 cups of brandy for 3 cups of fruits. (as advised by you, I did dust the fruits with flour, but the fruits did seem a bit soggy when I baked the cake). I love a good fruit cake and this one seems apt. A bit more trial and im sure the cakes gonna be perfect, hence my queries are in an attempt to master this one cake.
        Thank you for your guidance.
        Season’s greetings to you and your family

        Reply

        • I tried it with 1.5 cups brandy too and it turned out soggy the first time, but now I have started using 3/4th-1 cup depending on how dry/wet my fruits are. Also, I decreased the amount of fruit slightly for the recipe. And that has worked perfect. This is my absolute favorite recipe.

          Reply

        • Hi Sini, I’m really sorry for the delayed reply. I missed out your comment somehow :(

          I use 1.5 cups of rum and it works well for me. One of the reasons for the cake being wet, may be it’s because it was underbaked? If you feel the top of the cake getting brown faster and inside is yet to be cooked, please cover the tin loosely with an aluminium foil and continue baking.

          Reply

  46. Hi Maria,
    I was never a big fan of Fruit cake, until I tried your recipe a couple of years ago. And I have been using your recipe since with a few modifications to suit my family’s taste. Thanks for this wonderful cake recipe; I will never buy plum cake again.

    Reply

  47. Hi Maria,
    I am planning to bake a 9 inch round plum cake halving the measurements in your recipe.Is that possible? Do I need to use the same amount of caramel syrup as in your recipe or do I need to take that too half?
    Thanks,
    Elizabeth

    Reply

  48. Thank you for sharing the recipe… I made baked it this weekend for my team… They all loved it and so did my family.. I had soaking the nuts for around 20 days… It looks longer for me to cook and the aluminum foil on top did help.. I was worried cake could get burnt on top…
    Another thing my caramel got solidified after cooling down… not sure what went wrong… I had to heat it up to make it liquid again..

    Reply

  49. Hi, Maria thanks for sharing the recipe. I had tried this once and it came out well. And I had soaked the dry fruits for Christmas. Right now when I tasted the dry fruit, i
    t has a very strong rum flavour. I had soaked 6 cups of dry fruits and nuts in 3 cups of rum(to make 2 cakes). But I kept in the refrigerator. The fruits has lost its flavour totally. Any suggestions ? Iam just confused.

    Thanks,
    Mrithula

    Reply

    • Hi Mrithula,

      Did you do anything different from the last time? I’m not sure why it happened like that. I always keep my soaked fruits outside and I usually keep it for a year or so. I’m not sure whether the refrigeration will affect the texture and taste of soaked fruits.

      Reply

  51. Hi Maria, sorry another query, could I bake the cake in an aluminium tin lined with parchment? Or do you think the alcohol would react with react with the metal and affect the taste? TIA

    Reply

  52. Hi Maria ..

    I tried to bake a plum Cake using this recipe. But the top of the cake is cracked a lot . How can I avoid the cracks ? Please let me know.

    Thanks,
    Jesna

    Reply

  53. Hi Maria, thanks for a great recipe, am planning to add a cup of chopped nuts to the batter, do u think it will affect the proportion of batter?

    Reply

  55. Hi Maria,Thanks for such a good recipe.I want to try this.Can I use store bought wine ?Or the homemade one only gives that rich taste?

    Reply

  56. We ( St. Thomas Orthodox Church, sarita Vhihar,New delhui make approx. 1000 kg x mas cake in our Church at Delhi. , we make the cakes in advance (in december 10 to 22) Previous year some cakes are in deffect and know some white colour in middle of the cake. Please suggest some preservative for avoiding this type of deffects. Also suggest any good ideas . The profit of sale , we use for charity purpose.

    Reply

  57. Maria, Hi.. do you store the soaked fruits in the refrigerator or at room temperature.. I really do love your recipes.. Have been doing Fruit cakes for many years and have always soaked the fruits in September and stored in the fridge till Christmas baking time.. But a friend of mine tells me she keeps it outside..

    Reply

  58. Hi Maria,Tried this recipe almost ten times.The cake is just awesome and what I am doing is each time I bake this I soak the next set of fruits.This is the first recipe of yours that I tried.After this I look for Maria’s menu first before anything else .your recipes are always a safe bet.
    My hubby is also a big fan of your recipes.Thanks a ton.Keep posting more

    Reply

  59. Hi Maria

    My Sister in the US has been religiously baking your Christmas Cake recipe. Like you, she get a mixed fruit packet and soaks it in dark rum.

    Unfortunately in India , i have not been able to find such ready made packets available in the market. So what kind of fruits and measurement would you suggest.

    Please advice.

    Cheers Mamtha

    Reply

  62. Hi Maria,
    Its ok about the delay I was busy with my exams.Thanks for the suggestion of using apple juice, I wanted to tell you that I tried using orange juice and soaked it only 2hrs ,the dry fruits were soaked but when I baked the cake, the centre remained raw and when baked for some more time it was burnt .So this I’ll try apple juice.

    Reply

    • Hi Niyati,

      Hope you will get to try it soon. Btw, I dont think orange juice can affect the cake in such a way. From your comment, I guess the baking tin you used was smaller compared to the qty of cake batter.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  63. Hi Maria ,
    I have heard that soaking dry fruits in orange juice makes them bitter even if soaked for one day but I have never tried it ,is it true as I need to make an alcohol free cake .If yes what can I use?

    Reply

    • Hi Niyati,

      I havent tried myself soaking in orange juice, but many of my readers have tried. So far, nobody has mentioned about the bitter taste.

      I’ve tried soaking in apple juice and it worked out fine, may be you can try that.

      Btw, sorry for the delayed reply to your query :(

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  64. Hi Maria,Your recipe is just amazing and a big favourite in my house ..From so many days I was searching for this recipe when I found yours, till now I haven’t tried the recipe with orange juice next week will trying it .Hope it would taste good.Thanks for your wonderful recipe.Bye.

    Reply

  65. Hi Maria, may i just say an amazing recipe. I was hunting all over to get the perfect Plum cake recipe and I came by yours! Made it this christmas and it was a super hit!!! So Many thanks for that one.

    Oh and i couldnt get my hands on rum, so i used thick molasses + pineapple juice + almond extract + red wine (home made)-

    Not the exact substitute, but comes very close. Just figured i would put it out here, since i see many people commenting on rum substitute. Use the Red wine very sparingly cause otherwise the cake turns to a different taste palate.

    Reply

    • Hi Billy,

      Thank you so much :) Great to hear that you liked this fruit cake recipe.

      Thanks for sharing the rum substitute details, I’m sure other readers will find it helpful.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  66. Hi mam…incase if Iam soaking in orange juice..should I soak it for a week or just one day is enough…coz I soaked in orange juice 3 days back…when I looked at it today …it was spoiled full of fungus mam..plzz help me mam

    Reply

    • Hi Geetha,

      If you are soaking in orange juice, it’s better to soak it for just one day. Hope you get to try this out with a fresh batch of dry fruits.

      Happy baking :)

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  67. 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…wat shld I do now…shld I addadd sugar now or to take away fruits & nuts from juice imm? Pl rep me mam

    Reply

  68. The recipe and the comments sound good, so i have decided to bake this cake tomorrow. Maria, i will be baking this in the micro wave oven. Can you tell me how many minutes will i have to set the oven to bake this.

    Reply

  69. Hi Maria,

    Thanks for the recipe…the cake turned out to be great! :)
    Wishing you the best…
    Happy new year in advance….

    Regards,
    Bincy

    Reply

    • Hi Bincy,

      You are welcome :) Your cake pic looks perfect! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and also for sharing the pic.

      Thanks for your wishes and wish you too a wonderful new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  71. Dear Maria,

    This is the first time I am commenting on a recipe, though I have been following your blog for a while now.I had tried a different recipe for plum cake last Christmas and it didn’t turn out that good. But your recipe is simply awesome. I had soaked the dry fruits in rum few months back and it added a nice flavor to the cake. Tasted a lot like the plum cakes we get back in Kerala.

    Thanks a ton. Wish you and your family an awesome New Year!!

    Regds, Chitra

    Reply

    • Hi Chitra,

      Thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment here, appreciate it very much :)

      Great to know that your fruit cake turned out well.

      Thanks for your wishes and wish you too a great new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  72. Dear Maria, Just a note to say that I’ve been a silent follower of your awesome recipes for a while now, but think it’s high time I said ‘Hey, you’re amazing recipes make my day’. The Christmas cake came out beautifully as per the recipe and I can’t stop admiring/eating it. You are too sweet to post these for all us out there.

    Can only wish you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas with lotsa sweet things in the New Year. Warm regards, Anuja, Qatar

    Reply

    • Hi Anuja,

      I should say, your comment made my day :) Thank you so much for taking time to leave a note here.

      Really happy to know that the cake came out well, I liked the way how you wrote “cant stop admiring/eating” it :)

      Thanks for your wishes and wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a beautiful new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  73. The cake made out of this recipe beat cakes bought from many famous bakeries hands down(as told by numerous fans and our personal experience:) ). Thanks much for sharing this. The slight problem that we had was about the caramel getting hard while left to cool down and had to reheat a bit before pouring. Another change was we bought the presoaked fruits(non-alcoholic) which reduced our cooking time. The baking time was about 55 minutes.

    Reply

  74. Maria .. I have tried many recipes.Decided to try yours this year ! the best plum cake I ever made. Thanks and Merry Christmas :)

    Reply

    • Hi Deepa,

      Thanks a lot for sharing your feedback! I’m glad that you decided to try the recipe from here this year and that it worked out well :)

      Thanks for the wishes and wish you too a Merry Christmas and a beautiful new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  75. One of the best Christmas cake I had and one of the best cakes I made. Maria, I used 1 and 1/4 cup sugar in cake and 1/4 cup for powdering spice. In all 1 and 1/2 sugar. It was great.
    Thanks for the recipe dear. Keep up the good work.?

    Reply

  76. Hi Maria, I soaked my 3 cups of fruits in 1.5 cups of rum and had very little rum to drain out in the end.This gave my cake too much of a rum flavour. Ideally, am I supposed to have lots of rum leftover to drain out from the soaked fruits?
    Thanks!

    Reply

  77. Hi Maria. I have soaked 2 cups of dry fruits in 1 cup of Rum. Can I follow the same recipe of the quantity of all the ingredients? Thanks.

    Reply

  78. Hi Maria. Thanks for your help. I have used 1 cup of Rum for 2 cups of dry fruits. Will the recipe be the same for the other ingredients? Won’t 1 cup be less to bake the cake? Any other adjustments. Thanks once again :)

    Reply

  79. Hai Maria,

    Is it advisable to grind the fruits a bit after got it soaked. Now it looks bit big pieces especially grapes and sultanas.

    Reply

  80. Hi Maria,

    What you mean by “Fold in the beaten egg whites in 2 parts & combine till no white streaks are visible. Fold in the soaked fruits & 4 tbsp of retained liquor.”….can yoy please explain this part??

    Reply

    • Hi,

      Folding in baking means gently combining the ingredients, usually a delicate mixture into a heavier textured, thicker mixture in a way that will ensure that both mixtures are properly combined.

      This has to be done gently otherwise the texture of the cake will be affected. Hope it’s clear now.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  81. Ok. Since we have to drain out the excess alcohol, would there be enuf liquid to mix the flour? It’s my first time…so confused :(

    Reply

    • Hi Alka,

      yep, it’s ok to drain out the excess alcohol, the batter of this cake is quite thick and not liquidy in consistency.

      I do hope your cake comes out perfect! Happy baking and all the best!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • Hi Maria. Thanks for your help. I have soaked 2 cups of dry fruits in 1 cup of Rum. Can I continue with the same recipe…I mean the same quantity u have mentioned for all ingredients? Won’t the liquid become less since I have just added 1 cup of Rum? Thanks once again :)

        Reply

        • Hi Alka,

          The fruits will be very less for the qty I’ve mentioned. I’ve used 3 cups of fruits and that itself is less compared to the normal fruit cake recipe.

          However if you are ok with that, the recipe should work out.

          Cheers
          Maria

          Reply

  82. Can I use brown sugar instead of caramalising it? If yes, would the water quantity be the same which is required to caramalise? Can I use a standard tea cup for all ingredients? Thanks a ton :)

    Reply

  83. HI Maria. Thanks for such a lovely recipe. I would like to know if the entire 1.5 cups rum has to be used in the Cake or just 4 tbsp in 2 batches..which is 8 tbsp?

    Reply

    • Hi Alka,

      You are welcome! The 1.5 cups rum is used to soak the fruits. After draining the fruits, only 4-5 tbsp max is used in the cake batter for baking. You can use the left over rum to brush over the cake over several days, once it’s baked and cooled.

      Hope you will enjoy this recipe. Happy baking :)
      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  87. Hi Maria,

    A question regarding the flour, when you say plain flour, is it atta which we use for chappatis or maida? Can I use self raising flour instead?

    Reply

  88. Hi Lakshmi,

    Please try greasing the cake tin nicely and also use parchment paper. Also let the cake rest in the baking tin for 5-10 mins, before transferring to a serving plate. Hope this helps..

    Cheers
    Maria

    Reply

  90. I made this same recipe without eggs & alcohol in cooker. Came out so nice. Every one in family liked it. Thank you. Keep it up

    Reply

  91. Hi, Maria,
    i made this cake for Christmas and i am simply thrilled to say that it came out soo well that i had my family and friends licking their fingers all the way. Thanks so much for the recipe and i am happy to say that i am now a die-hard Marias Menu fan!

    Reply

  92. Hi Maria …I have tried this cake…came out very well….Your blog is a reference place for me to try Kerala Christian Recipes…
    I soaked the fruits in half cup of rum and used milk for mixing to adjust the consistency. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe…

    Reply

    • Hi Sheena,

      Great to know that this cake worked out well for you :) I’m glad that you consider this blog as a reference source.

      Wish you a beautiful year ahead!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  93. Hi Maria,
    I tried the cake for Xmas this year and it came out perfect . you can check the picture at ligysspace.blogspot. in

    Reply

  95. Hi Maria,
    I tried this recipe & it came out really well :-) This was my first time making a plum cake. All thanks to you for making it special.
    You have a wonderful blog here, with lovely presentation of recipes. I have tried other recipes of yours too & gone through many others just for the yummy pics :-)
    Wish you & your family a Merry Christmas & Happy New year :-)

    Reply

  96. Hi Maria,
    Can I make this cake without alcohol. I am preparing this for kids. I have seen your alcohol less cake recipe, but that is eggless. I want to add egg but not alcohol. Whats ur opinion?

    Reply

  98. Hi Maria,

    For the measuring cup I use, 1 cup = 250 ml. Can I follow the same recipe using these measurements? I have already soaked the fruits using this cup size. Please advise.

    Thanks,
    Santhi

    Reply

  99. Hi Maria, Does the caramel harden.? I made the caramel as per ur instructions but it is hard as rock now after cooling. is there something wrong with my preparation or does it have to be this way?. Please help as I am planning to make the cake tomorrow

    Reply

    • Hi Smitha,

      The caramel doesnt harden, it has to be in liquid stage.

      The caramel tends to harden when the temp of water you add isnt correct. You need to add warm water. Did you follow the instructions exactly?

      Please try making it again and I do hope it comes out well this time.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  100. Hi Maria, I’m planning to try this out next week. I’m not sure about microwave temperature settings. Can I try this using a pressure cooker?

    Reply

  101. Mariaaaaaaaa,I made it dear.it turned out superrrrrb :-D.thanku so much.my husband loved it.nd wl make it for our xmas&wedding anniversary party(Dec27)

    Reply

  102. Hi Maria!!
    Was wanting to make the typical Kerala style christmas cake this year when i happened to see this one. I have a query,Is it necessary to make caramel…I always mess up with caramalisation :( Do reply.
    Thankyou .

    Reply

    • Hi Anju,

      The caramel gives the colour to the cake. hhmm but there is an option, though I havent tried it yet.

      You can use brown sugar instead of white one, it should give a brownish colour without compromising the taste too.

      Hope this helps..

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  103. Hi Maria,

    This looks delicious and I will definitely make it at Christmas. You mention 1 tbsp. spoon Apricot Jam in the ingredients. Is this optional and just for the topping, for instance, if you wish to decorate with marzipan?

    Thanks in advance

    Reply

    • Hi Roberta,

      Thank you :) The jam is kinda optional. It’s used in the cake batter and not for decoration.

      Btw, you can soak the fruits now itself. I’ve soaked mine in Jan :)

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  104. hi maria.this Christmas also went well with ur plum cake,,,will send the photo..i tried dragon chicken & pineapple sago pudding ..all excellent..thank u for the recipes

    Reply

  105. Hi Maria…I never really made a Christmas cake until this year when i found you recipe. It was a super hit. I made two batches of cake and i had to fight hard to save it until Christmas. Wonderful recipe. Thank you so much.

    Reply

    • Hi Melisha,

      You are welcome dear :) I’m really thrilled to know that the cake turned out well in your first attempt itself.

      Hope you had a wonderful Christmas. wish you a very happy new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  106. Dear Maria, Merry Christmas to you. This Christmas was special for me because its the first time i bake a cake (Christmas fruit cake) and it turned out to be perfect in the first try. Thank you so much for the recipe. Hope you had a beautiful day too.

    Reply

    • Hi Manju,

      Thanks a lot dear for the Christmas wishes. It’s a pleasure to know that the cake turned out well for you in the first time itself :)

      Wish you and your family a wonderful and blessed new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  107. Dear Maria, Merry Christmas to you. This Christmas was special for me because its the first time i bake a cake (Christmas fruit cake) and it turned out to be perfect in the first try. Thank you so much for the recipe. Hope you had a beautiful day too.

    Reply

  108. Hi Maria,

    This is sort of last minute. I saw this recipe now and was wondering if soaking the dried fruits for just couple of hours will do? Tomorrows Christmas and I was planning to bake this today evening in another 8 hrs.
    Thanks,
    Priya

    Reply

    • Hi Priya,

      I’m really sorry for the delayed reply. I’m away on vacation now, so I dont check mails frequently.

      Did you get a chance to bake this cake? Ideally, it has to be soaked for a min of 1-2 weeks. But I guess there will be a slight flavour even if you soak only for a few hours.

      Wish you a beautiful new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • I understand Maria, so no problem :) happy new Year to you too! And yes, I got to make the cake with just overnight soaking. It came out in two batches and everyone absolutely loved it. Thank you for the wonderful recipe! Looks like I’ll have to make this cake for every occasion thanks to high demand :D

        Reply

  109. Even I am not a big fan of Plum cakes. But this Christmas I decided to make this cake for a change. It was a big hit among my family and friends. My hubby loved this cake.

    Reply

  110. Hi Maria,

    I am also not a fan of Plum cakes. But this Christmas I decided to make the Fruit Cake. This became a huge hit among my family and friends. They all loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe..

    Reply

    • Thank you Sangeeta! Great to know that you liked this cake. Thanks a bunch for sharing it on your blog too.

      Sorry for the delayed reply. I’m currently on vacation, hence the delay..

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  114. Hi Maria,

    Today is Dec and just few more days for Christmas. I wanted to know if I can soak the dry fruits in Red Wine / Grape wine.

    Mary

    Reply

    • Hi Neetha,

      You can soak it even now. Min 1 week of soaking is required, so you still have time :) I usually soak it in rum or a combination of rum/brandy and wine. I havent soaked it using only wine, so I’m not sure about it.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  115. Hi Maria,
    I am planning to bake the cake this year, but I do not have an oven, I generally bake all my cakes in a convection microwave. I am just not sure about the rum part. Would it still work out fine in the microwave. Any idea about the same?

    Reply

  116. Maria can you pls give me the metric measurements for the cups you are using to measure. That will be very helpful.. As measuring cups are slightly different in some countries..(eg. US and UK cup measurements are not same.) Thanks..

    Reply

  118. Hi Maria, I tried this cake out last Xmas and it a super hit with my frens, all THANKS to you :) ..Only prob was that the caramel part dint turn out proper for me ,it was turning solid on contact wit the batter :( …. Im plannin to follow the same recipe this yr ( but halved since it was a big cake) for my parents.. fingers crossed it turns out even better than before …

    Reply

  120. HI Maria,

    Jus like you, I dont like the fruit cake u get in shops and would love to try out this recipie :) I do happen to self raising flour .. Can i substitute plain flour with self raising flour and omit baking powder and baking soda for this recipe? 

    Reply

    • Hi Jerin,

      Self raising flour should work ideally. I havent tried it yet with SR flour. However to be on a safer side, you can add may be 1/2 tsp of Baking powder. Hope the cake comes out well.

      Happy baking dear!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      •  Hi Maria

        Wanted to let you know that the cake turned out to be very yummy , my husband loved it :) However, there was a big crack on the top of the cake. Could you tell me what are the possible reasons for this?

        Reply

        • Hi Jerin,

          How are you dear? I’m glad that you liked it.

          There can be a number of reasons for the crack on top…

          It can be my fault too… Looks like excess rising agents can cause crack. I suggested you add extra baking powder, right? It can be one of the reason, so sorry about it dear :(

          Other reasons can be… over mixing of the batter, also if the oven is too hot, using incorrect baking tins etc;

          Hope it comes out well next time :)

          Cheers
          Maria

          Reply

          • Dear Maria,

            One final update :D it was my husband’s bday this weekend and he insisted that I make this cake only :)  So, I tried this out again… and this time the cake was perfect without any cracks… you are not the culprit dear :D my oven temp was a lil on the higher side.. I also impressed a north Indian friend with this recipe :D Thanks again..

  121. Hi maria,
    I was searching for a fruit cake recipe to make for this christmas…i could find a few recipe in the internet..But I felt ur recipe was the best and made exactly how you have described..I soaked the dry fruits just for one week and even then it was super delicious..I was expecting a darker color for the cake..i think its bcoz i didn’t make the caramel tht dark..if u like to see the cake i made with ur recipe u can chk it in 123delicious.blogspot.com.Thank you for this wonderful recipe..Have a gr8 yr ahead…

    Reply

    • Hi Neenu,

      Thank you very much for trying out the fruit cake from here. Great to know that you liked it.

      Yeah.. the colour of the cake very much depends on the colour of the caramel. This year, one of my cakes was also not that dark, since I didnt make a dark caramel…

      I’ll check out your cake..

      Thanks for your wishes & wish you too a wonderful new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  122. Hey Maria,

    I recently came across your website and became a huge fan.I followed a couple of your recipes and turned out great. I am going to bake this cake, but I ve run out of rum. Can I use just one cup instead of 1.5 cups of rum? Will this alter the taste as well as the texture of the cake?

    Wish you a happy new year!!
    Minu

    Reply

    • Hi Minu,

      Thank you very much for trying out the recipes from here. I’m glad that you liked them.

      You can make it with 1 cup rum, but just make sure you shake the bottle daily or turn it upside down once, so that all the fruits gets soaked.

      Hope your cake comes out well :)

      Happy baking!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • Hey Maria,

        I baked the cake last day, and it came out great! The cake was soft and moist, and tasted almost the same as that my aunt used to bake.Thank you for posting this recipe.

        Minu

        Reply

        • Hi Minu,

          Great to know that your cake turned out well :) I’m also happy to hear that it reminded you of your aunt’s cake.  

          Thanks dear for sharing the feedback with me.

          Cheers
          Maria

          Reply

  123. Hallo maria,

    Wish you merry christmas and a happy new year 2012….

    Recently only I started baking cakes. Have made carrot cake, apple cinnamon cake couple of times. My cake always comes out soft and tasty but it is having a sticky texture. Can you please tell me why it happens. I want to make this plum cake soon and want it to be perfect.
    I have one more doubt 1 cup you refer is how much ml???? i usually use nescafe red mug. It is 250ml.
    Waiting eagerly for you reply and bake plum cake..

    rgds
    sindhu
    kuwait

    Reply

    • Hi Sindhu,

      Thanks for your wishes dear!

      One of the reasons for cake turning out to be sticky can be storing it before it is completely cooled.Make sure the cake is cooled well, then only store it. Some other reasons can be the cake can be under baked or the air humidity is too high.
      I use stad measuring cups & my 1 cup is equivalent to 242 ml.

      Hope your fruit cake turns out great! Happy baking!

      Wish you too a happy & blessed new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • Hallo Maria,

        Happy New Year.

        Thanks for your reply. I baked the cake for the new year party and it came out well. Got lots of compliments from all guests. I am very happy.. Thank you for your  womderful recipes and keep posting more….
         
        Have a great 2012….

        Love
        Sindhu

        Reply

  124. Hi Maria,
    I tried this recipe before one week and the cake came out good. I wrapped it in a waxpaper and was keeping in a box until yesterday. when i ahve openeed it fro cutting, i could find it as so oily, especially top was somewhat sticky. Any idea why it’s so?

    Reply

  125. Hi,
    I tried this cake recipe yesterday.. The cake turned out great and people who ate it were full of praise! so all thanks to you.

    One doubt though.. I wanted to decorate the cake before gifting it to my neighbor for Christmas… But didn’t know what icing won ld go with this cake.. Any ideas?

    Thanks once again..
    Merry christmas!
    Sharmila.

    Reply

  126. Hi Maria,

    We baked this cake for Christmas and it came out beautifully :) Didn’t get the same color as in your snaps, but it tastes wonderful. Thanks.
    Wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

    Regards
    Bijoy n Indu

    Reply

    • Hi Bijoy,

      Great to know that your fruit cake turned out well. About the colour, it depends on the caramel. The darker the caramel is the darker the colour of the cake also.

      Thanks a lot for the comment & wishes. Wish you also a Happy & Blessed New Year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

    • Hi Maria…. I made this cake on Xmas this year…. It came out just perfect… Al your detailed instructions Nd measurements. Helped me bake it very easily… This cake was the softest plum cake with absolute falvour of fruits between the cake… Thanks you so much for this perfect recipe.

      Reply

  127. Hi Maria,
    Your blog is really great.Twice I tried the cake &  it came out superb both times  .Thanks for the great recipe.Insted of 4 tbsp I added the whole remaining rum. Wish you & Jose a merry Xmas & a happy new year

    Reply

  128. Hi Maria, 

    Ur cake looks so yummy .. I want to try this .. But my oven is not functioning properly now .. so i want to know whether i can bake the same in a pressure cooker .. if so, please let me know the procedure .. 

    Wishing u and ur family a very haapy xmas .. 

    Thanks, 
    Jesna

    Reply

    • Hi Jesna,

      First of all, apologies for the delayed reply.

      I havent tried baking it in a pressure cooker yet. But I think since other bakes can be baked in cooker, this also can be done. But I’m clueless about the time required. May be you can try a small batch. Hope it turns out well.

      Thanks a lot for your wishes! Wish you a Wonderful New Year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  130. Hi Maria..

    I tried this Cake recipe and it came out nice and yummy. Thank you :)  I used Orange juice instead of Rum to soak the dry fruits and nuts.  One and half cup orange juice for 3 cups of mixed nuts fruits and I kept this to soak in the fridge for almost a week and just giving the jar a little shake every once in a while.. Plus I added a tablespoon of Coco powder for extra color..  

    Reply

    • Hi Blessy,

      Your cake looks awesome dear! Thanks for trying the recipe from here & also for sharing the details. Btw, adding coco powder is a good idea!

      Wish you & your family a Merry Christmas!

      I’ve uploaded your cake pic in MM FB page. You can see it here:

      https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
      fbid=10150465059224250&set=a.447010634249.241342.189169034249&type=1&theater

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • Hi Maria :) 
        Thanks for uploading the cake pic.. I was actually surprised to see a pic looking exactly like my cake pic on FB news feeds early in the morning.. hehe.. and only then I realized that you had added it to the MM page reader’s choice.. thank you :) 

        Wishing you and your family a blessed Merry Christmas :)

        Reply

  131. Hi Maria,
    I’m new to your blog…but am beginning to fall in love with it already..:-) Some of the recipe pics remind me of my mom’s food…
    I came across this one and cant wait till Christmas to try it out..I have already soaked the dry fruits(and added a bit of nuts to it as well) about 3 weeks back. I wanted to know if there were any oven settings that were different for baking two cakes at the same time. Also, if i mix the batter for two separate cakes and bake them one after another, will the second cake still rise (since the rising agents have been mixed with the wet ingredients for 45 mins)? And lastly can I directly halve the ingredients to make one for Christmas and one for New years?
    Sorry for all the questions… and thank you for all the wonderful recipes!

    Reply

    • Hi Teena,

      Welcome To MM! Its nice to hear that recipes here reminds you of your mom’s cooking :)

      About your queries:

      1. As far as I know, there is no separate oven settings for baking two cakes at once. The normal settings would do.
      2. Its ok to leave the batter for the second cake outside while the first one is baking. That’s how I do it.
      3. I guess you can directly have the ing and bake at separate times.

      Hope its clear now. Happy baking & I do hope that your cake comes out well.

      Wish you & your loved ones a Merry Christmas!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • Maria U ROCK!!!! I just cut the cake and it turned out really good….Didnt look as pretty as ur pics…but tasted pretty good… Gave a tiny bit to my 1 and a half year old(dunno if chid services will get me for this) and she liked it i guess….My husband has never been a fan of the plum cake but he had a tiny piece for me…:-)
        It took a lil longer to cook…but thts proably coz i made the whole batch in a bigger pan…
        Thanks and Keep up the good work!!!

        Reply

  134. Hi Meria,

    From my experience, there are a number of reasons why the cake sink in the middle.

    1. Frequent opening of oven doors while baking will cause sinking of cake in the middle.
    2. Not using the correct size baking pan.
    3. If the egg whites are not fully beaten.

    About the plain egg whites you’ve mentioned…. I think its always better to beat the egg whites just before using it, otherwise it happens like you’ve mentioned.

    Hope this helps….

    Thanks for trying this recipe dear, I do hope it comes out perfect next time.

    Wish you a Merry Xmas in advance!

    Cheers
    Maria

    Reply

  135. Hi Smitha,

    My apologies for delayed reply to your query. I was away on a small holiday.

    Nice to know that you like the cake recipes posted here :) About your query, yep you can bake the second batch after the first one is done. I also did like that.

    Wish you a Merry Xmas in advance!

    Take care…
    Maria

    Reply

  136. Hi…i tried your receipe and came out really well. Instead of Rum, i used one and a half cup of orange juice as I’m allergic to alcohol to soak the fruits overnite  and didn’t add the jam. The batter is just nice for a 9 inch pan with 3 inch depth. Temperature was adjusted to 160 C as I added lot of nuts to the fruit mix for a slow baking. Thanks again for sharing the wonderful receipe…God bless you in this advent season

    Reply

    • Hi Bindu,

      You are welcome dear! I’m really happy to know that the cake came out well for you :) Can I ask you a favour? Can you please share me the details of soaking the fruits in orange juice… did you leave it outside or in fridge? Did you use fresh orange juice or store bought one? Also did you add orange juice to the batter instead of rum?

      I’m sorry to bombard you with all these questions. But I get many queries from readers who dont use alcohol. I havent tried it without alcohol yet. So it would be a great help, if you could share the details.

      Thanks again dear…

      Wish you a Merry Xmas in advance!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • Hi Maria..
         
        I’m always happy to share my experiences, so no worries
        I used fresh orange juice and left outside in a plastic bottle about 15 hrs. One and half cup of orange juice was just nice to soak the 3 cups of fruits. I used 1.5 cups of cashew nuts. I didn’t add the left over juice to the batter as i was scared it may affect the consistency. 
        Someone suggested to try with Ribena (grape cordial) instead of orange juice. I’m going to bake one more cake next week and let you know the result.
         
        Regards
        Bindu

        Reply

  137. hi maria ,i m meria..thanks 4 the recipe…the cake tasted yummy…i do not have 2 baking dish,so i baked in my big baking dish at a time,so it took more than 1 and half hours…middle portion of the cake went down…y is it so?i beat egg white so creamy but at the time to pour,plain egg white came from the cup..up portion remained the same.also after 45 min,i opened the oven door and again i kept it for 20 and again for 30 min.pls help me to find out what is the reason y the middle portion went down?

    Reply

  138. Hi Maria. I’ve been following your blog since 2 months now.I even tried out couple of your cake recipes.It came out very well.Your measurements are easy to follow and instructions are very clear.
    About the above recipe,I saw that the above measurement gives 2 cakes.My oven is small so can bake only one cake at a time.Is it ok to bake half the batter after I bake the 1st one.

    Reply

  140. hii,,, i really wanna try this out,, but the problem is that v cant use brandy coz im a muslim,, can u pls tell a substitute for brandy pllz plzzz,,, thnkzzz

    Reply

    • Hi Juvariashifaz,

      I havent tried it without alcohol. But I think you can soak the fruits in orange/apple/pineapple juice overnight @ room temp, instead of alcohol.

      Hope this works!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  141. hai maria
     can i soak the fruits in juice?if so, which juice and how long. hope u will help me with this. i really want to bake this for this Xmas.thanks.

    Reply

    • Hi Elsa,

      I havent tried soaking it in fruits yet. However I’ve read somewhere that you can soak the fruits in fruit juice. You can use orange/apple/pineapple juice. You can soak it overnight at room temp.

      I do hope it works well. Please do share your feedback if you try this.

      Happy baking!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  142. Hi Maria,I am a big fan of your recipes, most of the times just sneak in take recipes and leave without a comment :( Sorry for that
    I am going to follow this recipe for Xmas cake this time. Can you tell me the size of the pan you used? You mentioned you made two cakes(  9 inch each) Can you also  mention height/width of your pan?

    Thanks,keep up the good work!

    Reply

    • Hi Guest007,

      Thank you so much for your kind words!

      I’m sorry dear…. I’m not in Bahrain presently & so I cant tell you the exact measurements of the tin :( I used a 9 inch round tin (9 inch is width size). Its not a very deep tin, its slightly deeper than a sandwich cake tin. I do hope this gives you an idea about the size of the tin.

      Hope you like the cake. Happy baking!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  144. Maria, I really want to try out this cake!!! It would be really helpful if u could  please mention all the cup measurements in grams in the recipie….   :)

    Reply

    • Thanks Magpie! I’m flattered :)

      Great to know about the event and all the best to you both! I really wish I could join but I’m currently on vacation and taken a small break from blogging.

      Wish you a lovely year ahead!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • Thanks Maria! wish you could join us, maybe when you are back to blogging in the next round up maybe! Feel Kerala Kitchen would be incomplete without you!
        Have a fun vacation!

        Reply

  149. Hi maria…
    Wish u a very happy and prosperous 2011.

    I had lft a comment earlier too, but somehow nvr got to c it. I jst wantd to say a BIG THANK YOU.. for ur wonderful cake recipe. I tried it and it came out so well & along wth it came loads of complement. thnk u so much.
    By the way.. u r nt to b seen/heard/read for the past so many days….???

    Mariaaa.aaa…whr r u ?

    Reply

    • Hi Joycey,

      Thank you so much for the wishes! We had some technical problem & lost some comments, that’s why your comment didnt appear here.

      Its so good to know that you got compliments for this cake. Thanks dear for trying this recipe :)

      I’m on vacation presently, that’s why there is no action here :) Sorry for the delayed response. Hope you understand.

      Wish you & your loved ones a blessed year ahead!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  150. Thank u so much for such a wonderful recipe…..tried tis out,soaked the fruits a month back when i saw the update in talimpu…baked for christmas got 3 medium cakes and it was a hit……Keep up the good work!!
    Wishing u a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year 2011

    Reply

    • Hi Sabina,

      You are welcome dear :) Great to hear that the cake was a hit. Thanks for trying it and also for the comment. Appreciate it very much. Hope you had a Merry Xmas.

      Sorry for the delayed reply :(

      Wish you & your family a wonderful year ahead!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  151. Hi Maria, Wish u a Merry Christmas n a very very Happy New Year in advance :))
    Tried this cake y’day n it came out very well. Thanks to u Maria for the perfect receipes, all the receipes tht i have tried have turned out perfect.

    May God bless u all always. Have a grt year ahead :))

    Nima

    Reply

    • Hi Nima,

      Thanks for all your wishes and also for the wonderful comment. I’m so happy that the cake came out well for you :)

      Since I’m on vacation now, I’m not able to reply to comments on time. Sorry about it.

      Wish you & your family a happy & blessed year ahead! God Bless!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  152. Hey… I left a comment after trying out few recipes almost a year back I think and here it is… your
    blog is still going strong!!! Wow it looks great and you sound still the same nice warm person… Infact its only when my maid goes on long vacation that I venture into the kitchen… And after one year she has gone home again now and first thing I did was google for Marias Menu and have been reading up all day…
    I was quite surprised that you take the pics of the dishes yourself… I think you have a real knack for aesthetics or whatever you call it… Keep going girl! :-)

    Reply

    • Hi Vidya,

      Nice to see you here again and thanks for all the sweet words :) I’m on vacation presently & hence the delayed response, sorry about it :(

      I hope your maid takes holiday more often ;) Anyways its really great to know that you like this space and also the pics. I think I should give the credit for the photographs to my camera.

      Wish you and your family a beautiful new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  153. Hi Maria,

    Compliments of the season :)

    Wanted to let you know the feedback on this cake I baked for Christmas, I followed the steps as you mentioned. I soaked the dry fruits in Orange juice only for 1 day.

    Maria, the result was amazing. Soft , tasty yummy cake, I gave it to my friends, everyone just loved it……..:) . all the credit goes to you Maria. This is first time I baked Fruit Cake and it was just perfect..

    Thank you, for the wonderful and perfect recipe.

    May God Bless you and your family with Good Health and Happiness always.

    Regards,
    SHAMMIM

    Reply

    • Dear Shammim,

      Thank you for such a lovely comment & wishes. I’m so glad that the cake came out well for you.

      I’m really sorry for the delayed response :(

      Wish you & your family a very happy & blessed new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  154. Hi Maria,

    I made this cake today. Came out GREAT!!!! My husband’s words ” Adipoli cake, sammathichirikkunnu njan!!!”

    It is superb!!! I completely followed the recipe,didn’t make any changes, but soaked the fruits in brandy only for a week. Still tasting good.

    Thank you very much for this excellent recipe…

    Reply

    • Hi Smitha,

      Thanks a lot dear for trying this recipe and also for posting a comment here. I’m so happy :)

      Very nice to know that your family liked this cake.

      I’m sorry for the delayed reply.

      Wish you & your family a wonderful year ahead!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  155. Dear Maria, Must tell you that you have such a wonderful blog…love your cake and i’m so much tempted to bake this…but would like to know your measurements…2 cups flour means how much in grams? pls let me know..and Happy Christmas in advance!!!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Sharron,

      Thank you so much for your encouraging words.

      I’m really sorry for the delayed reply. I’m on vacation presently & hence the delay :(. 2 cups of flour is 250 gms. I know the season for fruit cake is over but still I do hope you make it sometime & like it too.

      Hope you had a Merry Xmas with your loved ones & thanks for your wishes.

      Wish you & your family a happy & blessed new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  156. Hello again Maria!!

    I made the fruit cake today and it came out wonderful!!! thank you…

    want to share with u some of the problems i faced during baking..the batter of the cake was very thick..is that supposed to be very thick?? since i didn’t know i added three tbsp of warm milk to it… then my fruits sank half way….don’t know want went wrong.. i live in a very cold place the butter took ever to come to room temperature

    anyway the cake tasted really great!!! waiting to hear from my guests too…

    thank you very much for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Hi Deepa,

      Thank you so much for trying this recipe. I’m really happy that it came out well for you.

      About the batter of this cake, it’s actually kinda thick, but not very thick. As you’ve mentioned you can loosen it a bit by adding warm milk.

      About the fruits sinking – did you roll it in flour before adding it to the cake batter? That helps in preventing the fruits from sinking.

      For softening the butter quickly, take a bowl of hot water & cover it with a lid. Place the butter on top of the lid. But keep a close eye on it, since the butter tends to melt fastly.

      Hope your guests also loved the cake.

      Lastly, I’m so sorry for the delayed reply. I’m on vacation now & hence the delay :(. Hope you understand.

      Wish you & your family a happy & blessed new year!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • Hey Maria….thanks for the tips…my guests enjoyed everything!! one of my friend who is a nun also made the same cake from ur recipe..it was also a great success..she was very happy and asked me to thank u…she also send her blessings..

        hope u enjoyed ur vacation!!! we also went for a vacation last month…i was spoiled from eating all our delicious kerala foods..getting back to normal life…started cooking :)

        thanks again
        deepa

        Reply

        • Hi Deepa,

          Great to know that your guests liked the cake. Also I’m so glad to know that your friend also tried this cake & loved it. Please convey my special regards to her & also thanks for the blessings. Btw, I’m a bit curious to know, how did she find out my site :)

          Vacation was nice, had a good time. Nice to know that you also had a wonderful holiday filled with yummy food :)

          Cheers
          Maria

          Reply

  157. Hello Maria!!

    I recently found your website..it is really awesome!!!…i’m trying your fruit cake today…soaked the fruits for almost 3 weeks…for the Christmas party.. planning to add some of the items from your party menu..i’m a huge fan of coconut milk…hope everything will turn out good…I’ll let you know..thank you

    Reply

  158. Hi Maria,

    First of all, the new of look of the website is really great.
    Thank you for all the great recipes that you are posting. For me, the comfort factor is that you have actually tried out the recipes, so it feels a lot more friendly.

    Ok, now I am very new to baking, so acc to me this Fruit Cake is going to be a huge challenge. I have soaked all the fruits in rum. What I want to know is that, as the fruits drink up all the rum, do I need to keep adding more rum to keep up the level? ( About 1/4 of the fruits on the top are now not soaked in rum)

    Thanks a bunch!

    Reply

    • Hi Manju,

      Thanks a ton dear, I’ll pass the compliments for the new look to Jose, I’m sure he’ll be very happy to hear it :).

      About the rum…I assume you used the same qty of rum mentioned in this recipe. In that case its ok, even if the top portion isnt soaked well. Try shaking the bottle once in a day, it should work.

      All the best for your cake & I do hope & pray it comes out well. Please do share your feedback here, I’d love to know about it :)

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  160. hi Maria

    I made mutton biriyani and it turned out very good . thanks for the recipe.
    ur blog new look is very goood.
    i am planning to try out ur butter chicken for the christmas.
    in the butter chicken recipe i saw the recipe souce is from one cook book.
    see i dont have any cook book ,can u suggest me some cookbook on traditional indian veg and non veg recipes.

    thanks and keep up the good work

    Reply

    • Hi Meenu,

      Thanks dear & the compliments for the new look…I’ll pass it to Jose :). Some of the cook books that I like are:

      Nita Mehta’s Punjabi cook book ( if you like those kinda dishes)

      Lakshmi Nair’s cookery book

      Kerala Syrian Christian cookery book.

      I happened to have more baking books with me than cooking books. Hope this helps…

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  161. Dear Maria,

    Must tell you that you have such a wonderful blog…love your cake and i’m so much tempted to bake this…but would like to know your measurements…2 cups flour means how much in grams? pls let me know..and Happy Christmas in advance!!!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Anu,

      Thanks a lot dear :).

      2 cups of flour is 250 gms. Hope you’ll like the cake. Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas & a wonderful new year!

      Happy baking & please do share your feedback, if you try this.

      All the best!!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

      • hi maria…the cake came out very well…the texture was too good…soft and moist…i used dried apricot n only few nuts so soaked just for 3 days in ginger wine and an oz of brandy..thanks a lot..n keep posting more n more recipes!!!

        Reply

        • Hi Anu,

          Thank you so much dear. I’m really happy that you liked the cake :). Thanks for sharing the feedback here.

          Once again wish you a Merry Christmas!

          Cheers
          Maria

          Reply

  162. Hi Maria,

    I am a huge fan of your blog & receipes, I even got linked with many other blogs from urs. I simply love everything what u do, and the new look is awesome.

    I have been following ur receipes since 6 months now, but did not give any comments till date. “EVERY THING I HAVE TRIED TASTES YUMMMMYYYY”

    This fruit cake receipe is very nice and the cake pic looks great.

    Maria since I am based in Kuwait, I cannot get rum here, is it possible to get another option for it. please do let me know.

    Thank you and keep up the good work , ur receipes inspires housewifes like me to cook without being scared of spoiling the taste :)

    Reply

    • Hi Shammim,

      Thanks a lot dear for the wonderful comment, I’m so excited to know that you like this space :). Btw, the credit for the new look goes to my husband and I’ll convey the same to him :)

      You can use orange juice instead of rum to soak the fruits. I hope it helps…Also if you happen to have homemade wine, you can use that also to soak the fruits.

      Once again thanks dear for leaving a comment here. Appreciate it very much :)

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  163. Hi Maria,

    I am a huge fan of your blog & receipes, I even got linked with many other blogs from urs. I simply love everything what u do, and the new look is awesome.

    I have been following ur receipes since 6 months now, but did not give any comments till date. “EVERY THING I HAVE TRIED TASTES YUMMMMYYYY”

    This fruit cake receipe is very nice and the cake pic looks great.

    Maria since I am based in Kuwait, I cannot get rum here, is it possible to get another option for it. please do let me know.

    Thank you and keep up the good work , ur receipes inspires housewifes like me to cook without being scared of spoiling the taste :)

    Reply

  164. maria, thanks for for bring up the cake idea… thot it was too early to start baking and was getting restless…my mixed fruits were soaked in june :)…. yeah, i know too early, but not in brandy but in ginger wine , cos i felt soaking in brandy would be too strong for my 3 yrs old. only difference is, i use veg refined oil instead of butter ( makes the cake soft and very moist)
    and lemon and ginger rinds are soaked with the fruits.

    My hubby’s aunt adds 1/2 tsp of chilli pwd to the spice mix…. sounds weird i know, but tastes wonderful and a good twist to good old plum cake

    Reply

    • Hi Sasha,

      I was under the impression that I already replied to this comment, I remember typing out a rep, dont knw what happened to that :(

      Anyways, soaking the fruits in wine is also good, I’d soaked in grape wine in the previous years. However adding chilli powder is totally new to me, but as you said it must be a good twist :)

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  165. Dear Maria,

    I have a doubt.If i want to add some cashew nuts , is there any problem if i soak the nuts for 1 month?? podinju pokumo nuts?How long the nuts to be soaked in brandy?

    Reply

    • Dear Neemol,

      Previous years, I used to soak nuts also in brandy, along with other fruits and it was ok. Podinjonnum poyilla. I used to soak it for 3-4 weeks.

      Hope you’ll like this cake. Please do share your feedback, if you try this.

      Wish you a Merry Xmas!!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  166. i hav never baked nythng b4. i would lik 2 try this. bt i dont hav an oven. i dont want 2 bake it in a pressure cooker either. can u xplain hw 2 bake in an appachembu… timings etc.. btw.. new look rocks.. rly liked it… tc..

    Reply

  167. Had logged on for some of your banter and was surprised by the fresh look.
    Even i became a plum cake convert a couple of years back, remember munching on tea rusk! during xmas, just to make a point. ;)

    Reply

  170. Hi Maria

    I am going to try this cake for very first time.I am not a much of a baker

    I have a doubt,the sugar that you use to make caramel which form is it.Here in US we have one powdered sugar like salt,second confectioners sugar which is very very fine for cream and all and third in indian store we get the normal sugar like we have in india ,small small granules kind .

    do reply.I am eager to make it for my xmas this time.
    thanks in advance.keep up the good work.

    Reply

    • Hi Tina,

      I’ve used the normal sugar like the ones we get in India for making the caramel. I’ve used the same sugar for the cake also, but powdered it and used it.

      I do hope you like this cake & all the best!

      Wish you & your family a Merry Xmas!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  171. Hi Maria,

    Congrats on the new look. I had a doubt about the butter you used in this cake recipe. i want to know if it was salted or unsalted butter?

    Many thanks

    Rema

    Reply

    • Thanks Rema :) I used unsalted butter for this recipe. I forgot to mention it :(. Thank you for asking it, I’ve updated the recipe with the same.

      Hope you’ll like the cake.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply

  173. hi Maria,
    The new look is looking GR8,…congrats on the launch of ur new book,…may u have many more such feathers on your hat.I was actually on hunt for a xmas cake recipe,…thanks to u,..for bringing it out on the right time.Shall try it out and let to u know.

    Reply

  176. Wow you already made xmas cake!! Here I just soaked the fruits a couple of weeks ago…Lovely cake and presentation… Also love the new look of your site too :)

    Reply

  178. Love the look of this cake…… I get so excited at the thought of xmas cakes…love the tradition!! What would I not do to get a generous piece of this cake and your home made wine!! Yuummmmm

    Reply

  180. Oh Maria!I cant tell you how much i loved the new look of ur site…araa cheythathu?…real good job…loved loved the thumbnails of teh pictures…great look overall….Good luck on your book making……May i ask u, How many recipes are going to be in?Do they include recipes from ur blog as well?…..

    Loved the cake, started celebration already eh??…great pics too…

    love,
    Shabs.

    Reply

  181. Hi Maria

    Merry Christmas in advance.
    Your awesome cake reminded me that I need to soak the fruits in rum. Have to do it this weekend. Thanks to U.

    Your cake is so presentable. Your site is looking gr8. New avatar. :)

    So this Christmas we’ll have Fruit Cake too …… yipppyyyy ….

    Reply

  183. Hey Maria..so the cookbook has been taking up your time off late is it??Good good–I would like the signed copy of the book as soon as it is released..wokay??

    The cake looks yummy..love the colour.

    Reply

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