If you are looking for frosted fruit-based cakes then go ahead and try my favorite Eggless Mango Cake and this Fresh Strawberry Cake. If you are into teatime cakes then you will love this mango peach almond loaf cake and this vegan apple cake.
The iconic Christmas Fruit Cake
This cake tradition began in Britain. It is also known as plum cake mainly made and served around the holiday season like Christmas. Why is this Christmas cake called a fruit cake? Simple, because it is a rich and dense cake loaded with fruit flavor and a ton of dried fruits. The Classic recipe calls for soaking the dried fruits in alcohol mainly rum or brandy for days. It also uses caramel to sweeten the cake. The caramel lends a deep brown color to the cake. The use of warm spices and fruits just sets this cake apart from the frosted ones out there. In India, fruit cake is found everywhere during Christmas. Growing up I never liked fruit cake. Maybe because it is not pretty looking like other cakes and tasted a bit bitter because the dried fruits are soaked in alcohol. Off late I have started appreciating this cake after I tasted the non-alcoholic version of this fruit cake.
A better version of the Christmas fruit cake
If you know the rules, it is time to bend them. My recipe is a healthier take on the classic fruit cake. I made it without eggs, condensed milk, alcohol, processed flour, or sugar. Instead of alcohol, this fruit cake has a ton of flavor using orange juice and zest. All-purpose flour is swapped with whole wheat, almond, and oat flour. I have substituted the sugar-loaded caramel with date puree. This cake is naturally sweetened with dates, jaggery, and dried fruits. Overall, this cake is rich, moist, and very tasty even with so many alterations. It is definitely a better choice to make for your family, this holiday season. This cake is dairy-free as well making it Vegan.
Ingredients to make eggless fruit cake
Add flavor with these ingredients
Do not skip soaking the dried fruits
This recipe does not require you to plan days ahead. But you do need to soak your dried fruits at least for 2-3 hours. So why exactly you need to soak them despite not using alcohol? Dried fruits tend to suck up all the moisture once added to the batter. If you just throw them in dry then they will want to eat up all the liquid from the cake. As a result, your fruit cake will turn out super dry. Always soak them in some fruit juice and not just water. They will turn into flavor bombs.
My secret to a moist fruit cake
Using oil instead of butter is my secret to keep this cake moist even on days 2 and 3. Don’t worry, you won’t even taste the oil in it.
What to expect? Taste and texture
Christmas fruit cake is not a sponge cake. Consider this fruit cake as a tea time cake. It is not airy or spongy like frosted cakes. It is dense, moist, and flavorful. As a ton of nuts and dried fruits are added to the cake, it won’t turn very fluffy and airy. This is true with any good Christmas fruit cake recipe.
How to know if the cake is done?
Patience is the key. This fruit cake takes longer to cook than any regular cake. The top might look cooked but the bottom may remain uncooked and sticky. I suggest you do a knife and not a toothpick test after 55 minutes of baking to see if it is done. My cake was cooked for 65 minutes. Insert the knife in the center of the cake, till it reaches the base. If it comes out with cooked crumbs or clean then it is done. Or else bake a little more. If the cake seems to brown quickly on the top, slide a piece of foil to cover the top.
Important tips to make the best eggless fruit cake
Make sure to soak the dried fruits in some juice and not plain water. Store-bought unsweetened juice works too. Because of the flours used, the batter is thicker than the usual cake batter. So, do not be tempted to add more liquid. The flavor of the cake deepens the second day. So, plan ahead. Please do not skip the starch – arrowroot. It binds this cake without eggs without adding any flaxseed meal or yogurt. You can swap it with given substitutes.
Possible additions and substitutes
To soak the dried fruits, you can use grape, cranberry, or apple juice instead of orange. Arrowroot is a better choice than cornstarch or potato starch. But can be used interchangeably. Use nuts of your choice. You may add dried ginger pieces, chopped apples, sultanas to the cake. Just do not exceed 1.5 cups of dried fruits. Swap jaggery with coconut sugar or sugar in raw for a better choice over white sugar. Use any flavorless oil instead of avocado oil. You may use melted coconut oil too. If unavailable, swap oat flour with almond flour and vice versa. Swap Chai Spice with ½ teaspoon dried ginger powder, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
What pan size to use?
Make this cake in one 8” * 3” round pan or one 9 “round pan.
Best way to store a fruit cake.
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Other recipes to try on Christmas holidays –
Eggless Red Velvet Cake Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies Savory Red Velvet Crepes Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies ( Eggless) Avocado Caprese Bruschetta
Let’s make the best moist fruit cake
