This Fruit Cake recipe is tops! Make it for Christmas or any festive season. I heat-soaked the dried fruits on the same day I baked the cake. And no need for special baking equipment, just a mixing bowl and whisk to mix all ingredients together. Super moist and flavourful, super easy to make.
80gdried guavacan be substituted with dried apricots, dried apples, dried figs, etc
½cupCognaccan be substituted with brandy, whiskey, rum
½cupfresh orange juice
Other ingredients
½cupCognaccan be substituted with brandy, whiskey, rum
Cherriesoptional
Instructions
Quick prepare the dried fruit mix
Cut the 120 g dried prunes, 80 g dried preserved ginger, 80 g dried guava into 1cm pieces.
120 g dried prunes, 80 g dried preserved ginger, 80 g dried guava
In a pot over medium low heat, add all fried fruits (including 150 g dried fruit mix (raisins, sultanas))and 1/2 cup fresh orange juice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for another 3 minutes.
150 g dried fruit mix (raisins, sultanas), 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Cognac.Cover and let it cool completely while the dried fruits soak up the juice and alcohol for another 1-2 hours.Note: omit the alcohol for non-alcoholic version, just use double the portion of the orange juice.
1/2 cup Cognac
Prepare the cake batter
Pre-heat oven to 170C / 338F (conventional oven) or 150C / 302F (convection oven with fan).
Cream 100 g unsalted butter and 150 g Demerara unrefined brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
150 g Demerara unrefined brown sugar, 100 g unsalted butter
Then add 3 eggs, 4 tbsp honey, 1 cup vegetable oil.
1 cup vegetable oil, 3 eggs, 4 tbsp honey
Whisk all the wet ingredients into a smooth batter. Note: it'll take a while of stirring to mix the oil and other wet ingredients into a smooth batter.
Sift all the dry ingredients (250 g plain flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp fine salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp allspice powder, 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder) into the batter.
Mix with a whisk until all incorporated. Batter will be thick.
Add in the dried fruit mix and combine them well into the batter.
Transfer the batter into the cake pan up to 80% full.Tap the cake pan a few times on the table to release any air bubbles in the batter.Note: A 7" cake pan will be ideal for 1 cake. However as I do not have a 7", I am using a 6" and 4" non-stick bundt cake pan. If you are not using a non-stick cake pan, grease the cake pan with vegetable oil before pouring in the batter.
Bake in pre-heat oven for 70-85 minutes at 170C / 338F (conventional oven) or 150C / 302F (convection oven with fan).Note: I baked the small 4" bundt cake size for 40 minutes. The 6" bundt cake size is baked for 85 minutes. To test the doneness of the cake, insert a chopstick or skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean, it’s done. Underbaking the cake will result in a gooey cake centre.
Cool in the cake pan on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Then release the cake from the cake pan.
Decorate the cake
Poke holes on the cake.
Drizzle 1/2 cup Cognac on the cake and use a brush to brush the alcohol all over.
1/2 cup Cognac
Wrap the cake in cling wrap. Let the flavour of the cake develop over at least 48 hours before serving.
Before serving, decorate the cake with Cherries (optional).