Christmas Fruit Cake

Preparation Time: 40 mins

Baking time: 1 hour

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 tin (400 gms) sweetened condensed milk
• 100 gms butter
• 75 gms castor sugar
• 200 gms + 1 tbsp (for dusting the cake tin) all-purpose flour
• 50 ml warm water
• 150 ml aerated soda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp soda bicarbonate
• ½ tbsp cinnamon powder
• ½ tbsp nutmeg powder
• 250 gms chopped mixed dried fruits (cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, raisins, dried cherries, dried figs)

 

Method :

1. Measure out all ingredients and keep them handy
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda bicarbonate, cinnamon and nutmeg. Keep aside.
3. Line the bottom of an 8” round cake tin with butter paper. Grease the tin with ½ tsp butter. Dust a fine layer of flour.
4. Preheat the oven at 180º C.
5. Heat sugar in a pan till it melts and becomes brown. Add warm water (slowly from the side) to make caramel syrup and keep aside. (Be careful while adding warm water as it will sputter.)
6. Mix in 1 tablespoon flour to the chopped fruit to coat the fruit with flour and keep aside.
7. Soften butter in a mixing bowl. Beat in condensed milk.
8. Fold in the sifted flour with the condensed milk-butter mixture, alternating with aerated soda and caramel syrup till all are over.
9. Add the chopped dry fruits. Fold into the mix.
10. Pour the batter into the greased cake tin and bake for an hour at 180° C or till the cake is done. (Prick with the tooth pick in the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean the cake is ready).
11. Remove from the oven and cool for a while. Loosen sides of the cake, using a knife if necessary. Turnout over a wire rack/plate lined with cloth (to absorb moisture) and cool slightly before cutting into pieces.

Courtesy: http://indianexpress.com/