CAKES - Other Cakes

Moist Fruit Cake

July 18, 2017 | Recipe by Bake with Paws
Moist Fruit Cake

Moist Fruit Cake

6 Inch Round Pan ⇧

Fruit Cake

Fruit Cake

7 Inch Round Pan ⇧


Scroll to the bottom of the page for "PRINT RECIPE".

I couldn’t wait to taste this moist fruit cake as it is made from dried fruits I have been soaking in brandy and rum since last Christmas. I just baked it last week and the cake is set now and ready to eat. I must say it is indeed delicious and worth to wait:)

However, you still can bake this fruit cake if you do not have enough time for soaking, please boil the dry fruits instead.  

Merry Christmas!

How To Make Moist Fruit Cake 


Yields: Two 6 inch round cakes

INGREDIENTS:

180g plain flour
100g almond meals (can be replaced with flour, but almond meals give nutty taste) *
1 tsp mixed spice (Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and coriander)
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

280g butter
5 eggs (large)
50g brown sugar (please add more if you prefer sweeter)
2 Tbsp (30g) honey, can be replaced with brown sugar
75g milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
30g orange juice
Zest (outer orange skin) of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

1 kg Mixed dry fruits (Any dry fruits of your choice)
200g Cranberry
150g golden raisin
150g dark raisin
200g apricot
250g crystallized ginger
50g candied orange peels 
200ml or more of rum or brandy 

Utensil (Any one of the following):
Two 7 inches round pan 
Two 6 inches round pan 
Two 6 inches square pan
One 8 inches square pan
One 6 cup bundt pan & one 6 inches round pan

If you can't get the store bought almond meals, just blend raw almond in a food processor until fine.


METHOD:
  1. Soaking Dry Fruits:
    1. Cut dry apricot into smaller pieces.  Dice the crystallized ginger into smaller pieces.  Blend all the dry fruits in an airtight container.  Pour 200ml or more of rum/brandy and stir until all the dry fruits are coated with alcohol.
    2. Leave in the refrigerator for for 2 weeks or up to 1 year.  I would check the dry fruits frequently and add more alcohol as it got soaked up
  2. Boil The Dry Fruits:
    1. If you do not have enough time for soaking, please boil the dry fruits instead.
    2. In a medium saucepan, combine all the dry fruits, zest of orange and lemon.  Pour 30 ml (or more) orange juice and 200 ml rum/brandy into the dry fruits.
    3. Stir until all the fruits are well coated.  Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until you can see the liquid reduced.  Stir frequently.
    4. Remove from the heat and set a side to cool.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and cover with cling film.  Then place in the refrigerator overnight for next day use.  It can be used on the same day too after cooling down.
  3. Baking Day:
    1. Preheat your oven to 160C -170C (top and bottom heat)
    2. Grease and line 2 round baking tins. Line inside with baking parchment. 
    3. Sift together, flour, baking powder, almond meals and spices.
    4. In a bowl of stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add in egg until nicely mixed together
    5. Add in honey, orange and lemon zest, mix well.  
    6. Add in half of the flour mixture, beat to combine.  Then add in milk and orange juice and mix till incorporated.  Fold in the balance of the flour mixture with spatula until well combined.
    7. Lastly, fold in the soaked mixed fruits and mix well.  
    8. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and level it
    9. Square & Round Pans:
      1. Bake at preheated oven for around  60 minutes for 7" round pan and around 70 - 75 minutes for 6" round pan or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.  
      2. Cover the top with aluminium foil if the cake turns golden brown too quickly.
    10. Bundt Pan:
      1. Bake at preheated oven at 170C for around 60 - 70 minutes.  Cover the top with aluminium foil when the cake turns golden brown at almost half way baking.  Then continue baking until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
    11. Remove cake from oven.  Allow to cool in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack. When cold, wrap the cake tightly in a double layer foil or cling film in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator (up to several months). 
    12. I normally leave cake in the fridge for 4 - 5 days to let it set before cutting. The hardest part of the whole recipe is to wait patiently for the cake to set!




Notes:

Oven temperature and Baking Time
Do note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven. 

It would be good to use an oven thermometer when baking. This will help you understand and know the actual temperature you are baking at. The actual temperature in the oven may not be the same as the oven’s setting.  Leave the thermometer on the same rack where you place your baking.

I usually bake cakes with top and bottom heats setting.  I don’t encourage baking cakes with fan-forced mode as this setting uses a fan to circulate the hot air for quick baking or cooking at high temperature and may result in cracks on the cake.  However, if fan mode is used, it is recommended to reduce the temperature setting by about 20C if using a fan-forced mode.

Comments

  1. you share us the most amazing cake recipe, thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. nice post,thank you

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  3. thank you for sharing the recipe. do you feed the cake with liquor after it is baked?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Adeline for the question. No, I didn't...

      Delete
  4. Hi. What do I substitute alcohol with for soaking the dried fruits please? Thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Elle,
      Thank you for asking. I never tried non-alcoholic fruit cake yet. I don't have the right answer for this. But, I see some people use hot black tea to soak the fruits. You may want to search online for more details.

      Cheers :)

      Delete
  5. What is the size of the cake tin

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  6. Best fruit cake ever!! Made this and everyone loves it!! Thanks 🙏🏻

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, thanks for trying this recipe and your kind feedback. I am so happy to hear that everyone loves it.

      Cheers :)

      Delete
  7. do you cut the apricot and cranberry into smaller pieces before soak in the rum?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, yes I cut the apricot to smaller pieces but not the raisins and cranberry.

      Cheers :)

      Delete
  8. Should I use sweetened dried fruits or unsweetened ones?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Thanks for reading and asking.

      The dried fruits (cranberry, golden raisin, dark raisin and apricot) I used is natural sweetness and no sugar added. However, if you prefer very sweet cake then please use sweetened dried fruits if you prefer.

      Cheers :)

      Delete
  9. Hi, do you mix the mixed spice on your own or bought ready made?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jennifer,

      Thank you for asking. I used to mix my own because I tried to finish my spices that I have. But, this year I used the ready mixed spices.

      Cheers :)

      Delete
  10. Hi, your cakes look delicious! Is there a reason why the recipe is for 2 cakes? If I only want to bake 1 cake, can I half all the ingredients? Thanks! Michelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, thank you for your interest in this recipe. Actually, this recipe is also for 8" square cake. You can half the recipe if you like. Usually, fruit cake can be kept for months. I usually bake this quantity and eat slowly in few months.

      Cheers :)

      Delete

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