Baking with Sapana

Today on Christmas Eve , I promised my daughter to make a christmas fruit cake . I always wonder why this cake is called Christmas Plum Cake as there are none of any plums in it. After googling I found that in the old days, the British fruitcake normally contains as much as half of dried fruit as its weight , that was referred  as “plumb” or “plum” hence given the particular fruit cake its name.
It is very popular in Kerala and normally prepared with spices and caramel sauce that gives the cake dense deep brown color . I omitted that caramel part , may be next year will try that also.

My daughter couldn't take her eyes off from the cake and tasted some of it before clicking . You can see the shredded edges in the pics.

 




I like this time of the year most , it's Christmas !! Everyone is preparing for Christmas celebrations , markets , malls are decorated with Christmas tree and Santa Claus . I am sure all of you are baking something in your oven . Isn't it ? Well normally we would like to buy cake on Christmas but thus year I baked my own fruit cake . I adapted the recipe from sailu's and concocted it according to my taste.



For the last week of BM#35 I always ask for special theme as I like this theme the most . It gives us liberty to make our bookmarked recipes and I have bookmarked this cake since long . So here is my attempt of this wonderful eggless Christmas fruit cake. Let's star the recipe . Yum




Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup All purpose flour +extra for dusting
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon all spice powder

Dried fruits to be soaked
1/4 cup tutti fruti
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/8 cup walnuts
1/4 cup dates
1/8 cup apricots


1 cup apple juice
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup butter , melted

Method:
Preheat the oven at 180 degrees and line and dust the 8 " cake tin with butter and dry flour or parchment paper.
Chop all the dried fruits , and soak them in apple juice for one day . Drain the dried fruits just before baking the cake and dust them with dry flour.
Sift together all purpose flour , all spice powder , baking powder and salt . Set aside.
Take brown sugar in a bowl , add butter milk and whisk it . Add baking soda , and whisk again . Wait till it becomes frothy.



Now add melted butter and whisk again.
Add the sifted flour in the sugar mixture in two batches . Mix it gently .
Add dried fruits and nuts , stir gently and add hot water if required. Pour it into the prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes at 180 degrees.



Check with toothpick inserted in the center . Cool the cake on wire rack. Slice and serve.



Enjoy this wonderful cake .




One more slice...Merry Christmas !!



Serve-8. Baking time -45 minutes

Notes: Here I have used apple juice but You may soak the fruits in wine or rum 1 week or few days before and store it in refrigerator.
This cake can be kept at room temperature for 3-4 days. You may use your preferred choice of dried fruits.






Best regards,

For the final day of BM#35 under Bookmarked theme , I have prepared this pressure cooker cake that I have recently bookmarked from Sharmispassions . I tried a pressure cooker cake for the first time and it came out very well . It surely is a keeper recipe. So let's start the recipe yum.



Next time when you are craving for a cake and doesn't have oven you can surely bake this cake in pressure cooker.





Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour or all purpose flour +2 teaspoon for dusting
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup oil (I used canola oil)
3/4 cup hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup tutti frutti
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:
Preheat the pressure poker as follows. Select the cooker in which you want to bake the cake and check the size of baking pan to be properly fit in the cooker.
Put an iron stand or the stand which we get with pressure cooker in the center of cooker. Remove the whistle and gasket (the black rubber ) from the lid of cooker and close the lid . Keep the cooker on sim heat for 5-7 minutes for preheating.

Line and dust a cake tin with oil and dry flour. Tap the extra flour and keep it aside.

Apply 2 teaspoon of dry flour on the tutti frutti and roll them in it properly.

Meanwhile Sift cake flour , baking powder and baking soda together two to three times.
In another bowl take oil and hot water , mix well . Add sugar and vanilla and mix till sugar dissolves.

Now fold the tutti Fruti in the cake batter . Mix gently. When everything is ready I.e cooker is preheated , add lemon juice in the batter and mix it gently.




You can see air bubbles forming without wasting time pour this batter in the prepared cake tin .Tap it gently on a flat surface and place it in the preheated cooker .

Close the lid as it is (without whistle and gasket) and keep the flame high for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes set the flame on low to medium and let the cake bake for 35 to 50 minutes.
After 30 minutes you may check with a tooth pick inserted inthecenter and it
if it comes out clean the cake is ready otherwise let it cook for another 10 minutes.

Let it rest in the cooker for 5 minutes more after baking on the kitchen counter. Remove it from the cooker , Cool and cut into slices.




Enjoy !!





Serve-6. Baking time 45 minutes.

Note:The total time to bake the cake depends upon the size and shape of cooker and baking tin. Mine total take 48 minutes to bake as have used 5 liter prestige cooker and a 6 " cake tin.
Don't keep the batter for long after adding lemon juice. Be cautious while placing the tin in the preheated cooker.



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Simply Tadka’s 2nd Blog-iversary Event and Giveaway



Pari's Only Baked Treats happening at Kalyani's Sizzling taste Buds




Nupur's Christmas and New year Recipes event



Kirthi's Kitchen






Best regards,