Eggless[Alcohol Free] Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake

What is Christmas without a Fruit cake!!! Fruit studded moist, and delicious cake is one of the things I clearly remember as something associated with X'mas.

In school, the last day of the exam before the school closes for the winter holidays used to be the day we all used to look forward to.Santa would visit each class and distribute fruit cakes and small gifts to each of us. That was the highlight of the day. No matter how depressing or tough the exams were, the last day was something we all loved.

Later, it was my friends and neighbors who used to bring us these cakes for Christmas. Now it is my time to bake a few!

One thing that deters us from baking a Christmas cake is the use of Rum / other spirits. But this recipe does not stop you from baking a moist and delicious cake!Yes, this cake is Eggless , does not need months of soaking time[for the fruits] and most importantly of all does not require alcohol or caramel syrup!

I used:
Adapted from : Maria's Menu

Mixed dry fruits - 200 grams[I used different colored tutti frutti, grazed cherries, sultanas and raisins]
Apple juice- 200 ml [I used Tropicana Brand]

Measure out the dry fruits and soak it in apple juice. Let it sit over night. I left it on the counter for a few hours and then let it sit in the fridge till I got ready to bake.

All purpose flour / Maida- 1 1/4 cups
Soft brown sugar- 175 grams / 1 cup approx, softened
Butter- 90 grams
Baking soda- 1/2 teaspoon
Baking Powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Whisked thick yogurt - 1/2 temerature
Hot milk-1/4 cup
Vanilla essence- 1 teaspoon

For the spice mix

Cinnamon powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Clove- 1
Cardamom seeds- from 2 pods
Sugar- 1 teaspoon

Take the ingredients for the spice mix in mixie jar and powder. Keep aside.

Sift the flour with baking powder and baking soda.

Just before you start assembling the ingredients to bake the cake, drain the soaked dry fruits and keep aside. Once it has drained add a tablespoon of flour, toss well to coat the fruits and keep aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar till fluffy.Add hot milk, curd,vanilla essence and mix well. The mixture will look curdled. But don't worry, the cake will turn out just great!

Add the sifted flour,spice powder that you ground earlier and mix to combine .Do not over mix the batter.Add the dry fruits and mix gently.

Grease and dust a cake tin and put in the batter and tap gently. Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degree C for 50 minutes / till a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the center. The top of my cake started browning after 30 minutes. So I covered the pan loosely with a piece of aluminium foil. Do this only if the top browns fast.

Once the cake is done, remove from oven and let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes. Gently invert in onto a plate and let it cool on a wire rack.