Eggless Rich Fruit (Plum) Cake

Come winter season and traditional cakes are flooded in everywhere around.  I remember even now the craving I had for the plum cakes right from my childhood.  I think the dry fruits and nuts and the special aroma and flavor of the authentic plum cake gave me the craving for it over other cakes in spite of they being iced and decorated and attractive.  The taste lingers as yet whenever I get the thought of the words "plum cake" itself.  Being so fond of it, I tried my hands on it this time.  I got a great insight on the traditional and authentic method of doing it by researching about it on the internet and from old traditional recipe books and found out a foolproof recipe that worked out best for me.  On a special request from a TamBrahm friend for an eggless version, I did this for her specially.  

This cake is an eggless cake and also nonalcoholic in that I have used homemade grape wine (the recipe of which I will share soon).  If using alcohol, we can use either rum or brandy for soaking the dry fruits and also boozing the cake.  Fresh fruit juices like orange juice and grape juice can also be used to soak the fruits but they need to be stored in fridge and should be soaked only for a day or overnight and used to bake the cake.

Dried fruits and nuts are of your choice.  Prunes, candied strawberries, apricots, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans are of some of the options that can be added.

Ingredients:

Butter - 100 gm

Granulated Sugar - 75 gm (1/2 cup)

Warm Water - 50 mL (1/3 cup)

Maida - 200 gm (2 cups)

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Spice Powder - 1 tsp 

Soaked Dry Fruits - 150 gm (1-1/2 cups)

Aerated Soda - 150 mL

Condensed Milk - 400 gm (1 tin)

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2.  Grease and dust with maida an 8 inch round cake tin.  Take a wet towel and tie around the tin or pin both ends of the towel together around the tin.  This wet towel method helps in even baking on the sides and the center of the cake when baked for longer time.  

3.  Heat sugar in a pan until it melts and becomes brown and then a little darker.  Be careful not to burn too much.  If it becomes too dark, the syrup will be bitter and have to be discarded and have to start over again.  It would be better to be alert at this stage.

4.  Add warm water to the dark browned sugar solution and allow to boil in medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes until it becomes slightly thicker.  This is caramel syrup.  Allow to cool.  Keep aside until use.  The darker the caramel syrup, the darker and richer will be your cake.

5.  Sift together maida, baking powder, baking soda, spice powder, and a pinch of salt.  Mix this to the soaked dried fruits and keep aside until use.

6.  Soften the butter in a pan.  Add the entire condensed milk to this and mix well.

7.  Now, fold in half of the maida-dry fruits mixture to the butter-condensed milk mixture little by little.  Mix in half of the aerated soda followed by half of the caramel syrup.  Repeat this process until all three are fully used.

8.  Pour the batter in the greased cake tin and bake for 1 hour at 170 degrees or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

9.  Remove from the oven and cool for a while.  Loosen the sides of the cake and turn out onto a plate.  Allow to completely cool.  Drizzle about a tablespoon of alcohol/homemade grape wine over the cake and cling wrap until use.  Store in a cool dry place.  If storing for more days, drizzle alcohol/homemade wine every alternative day, say about a teaspoon of wine.  The more the cake ages, the more traditional and authentic taste it gives, but who leaves it till then.

Notes:

1.  Spice Powder - Dry roast 7 cloves, 1 inch cardamom piece, 1 small nutmeg, 1 tsp cake jeera seeds, 1 star anise and powder it.  Store in an airtight container.

2.  Soaked dry fruits -  Roughly chop 25 gm cashewnuts, 25 gm almonds, 50 gm raisins/black currants/sultanas, 25 gm dates, 10 gm figs, 10 gm glazed cherries, 5 gm candied orange peel or candied ginger and soak them in 1/4 cup alcohol/homemade grape(red) wine with a 1-inch cinnamon piece.  Store in an airtight container and mix with a wooden spoon daily for the first week and once every week until use.