Here comes December!! I guess December is always welcomed with happiness. After all its a season of Joy, happiness & peace, right?? Yes, its Christmas season. When we hear the word Christmas so many things come to our mind like Christmas Tree, Crib, Midnight Mass and of course the fruit cake & wine.Usually the preparations for making fruit cake starts at least a month ahead. You need to soak fruits and stuff. In big bakeries & hotels, soaking of fruits is a grand ceremony, I remember seeing some pictures in the newspaper. However the fruit cake recipe below is a bit different.
“Ethenna avalose podiyil nutsum kismisum, aarenkilum avalose podiyil athokke edumo”?? (why there is nuts and raisins in avalose podi, nobody adds those in avalose podi). This was my amma's reaction after seeing the avalose podi snap. She was surprised because in the traditional avalsoe recipe there are no nuts & raisins. The reason why I am saying this here is because you might also be wondering sometimes, after reading the title, what is this chocolate fruit cake? Who makes fruit cake with chocolate?
For me anyways, its completely new. I havent had any chocolate fruit cake before. For that matter, I started liking fruit cake only recently. I never used to enjoy fruit cake a few years ago. Back home, kids never used to like this cake. This was considered as an adult's cake. Somehow these days I dont mind having it and also enjoying it. Signs of becoming old ;)?
When I saw this recipe in the Australian Women's Weekly Magazine, I was a little curious to try it. One another reason I was excited because this recipe doesnt call for any soaking of fruits in advance. So this is like a last minute Xmas cake. Now about the texture & taste of the cake…the cake is ultimately moist, has a very good fruity flavor and I think the chocolate flavor blended with it very well. The dark color of the cake comes from the chocolate & cocoa powder.
Hope you will also enjoy this cake.
Here is the recipe:
Recipe source: Chocolate Cakes by The Australian Women's Weekly
Ingredients
- 125 gms Butter (chopped)
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar (150 gm)
- 50 gms Dark eating chocolate (chopped coarsely)
- 1/2 cup Water (125ml)
- 1/4 cup Dark rum (60 ml)
- 1/4 cup Walnuts (30 gm, coarsely chopped)
- 1/2 cup Dried currants (75 gm)
- 1 cup Sultanas (160 gm)
- 1 cup Raisins (170 gm, coarsely chopped)
- 1/4 cup Mixed peel (40gm)
- 3/4 cup Plain flour ( 110 gm)
- 2 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Self – raising flour
- 1/2 tsp Mixed spice
- 2 Eggs (beaten lightly (room temperature))
- For topping
- 80 gms Dark eating chocolate
- 1/4 cup Sour cream (60 gm)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 150 degree/275 -300 F. Grease 20 cm ring pan; line base with baking paper. Combine butter, sugar, chocolate and the water in medium saucepan; stir over heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; Let it cool for 10-15 mins. Stir in rum, nuts and fruit. Add sifted dry ingredients and egg; stir until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake in slow oven about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan.
- Just before serving, combine cooled extra chocolate and sour cream in small bowl; stir until smooth. Turn cake onto serving plate, top-side up; spread chocolate mixture over top of cake.
Hi Maria,
This cake recipe of your has got be many compliments over few years. I have shared it with many and they all love it. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Rose,
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, appreciate it :)
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria,
Hope you are still continuing with your baking. I recently came to know abt you and your recipes and will be trying the Xmas rum cake. I was also looking for a ‘paan’ cake recipe if you happen to know one. Plz share if you do. Thanks
Hi Meghana,
Yes, am doing a bit of baking every now and then. Hope your rum cake comes out well. I havent tried a “paan” cake yet, so am sorry I dont have a recipe with me.
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria,
Thanks for responding. I tried the rum cake, it tasted good but came out very dense and crumbly. How can I improve on that? I did make one mistake of mixing too much after adding the flour, could that have caused the dense texture? (Or you think I should have beat the sugar and eggs well before adding?)
I used to bake a lot, many yrs ago, and had a ‘thumbs up’ cake recipe, which is lost now. I’ll be trying the regular chocolate cake today but if you have recently tried anything new then plz share.
Hi Meghana,
YOu are welcome!
Btw, are you referring to this chocolate fruit cake or the traditional one? if it’s chocolate, it’s kinda dense but if it’s rum cake, it’s not so dense. Also if the proportion of the fruits were higher or if it wasn’t equally distributed, the cake might crumble. Yeah, it’s always best not to overmix, since it affects the texture of the cake. Hope it comes out perfect the next time :)
Cheers
Maria
Hey Maria I loved all ur recipes but being a total vegetarian I have a little option in eggless baking cud u pls post few more eggless recipes.thanks
Hi Konica,
Thank you! Great to know that you like the recipes here. I’ll try to add more eggless baking recipes :)
Cheers
Maria
Hi Konica,
Thank you! Great to know that you like the recipes here. I’ll try to add more eggless baking recipes :)
Cheers
Maria
Hi Neethu,
Sorry for the delayed reply. I was away on holiday. Here is the substitution:
Substitution for self raising flour – to get 1 cup self-raising flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder+ 1/4 tsp salt to 1 cup all purpose flour.
Hope your cake comes out well. Happy baking!
Cheers
Maria
Hi maria,
I love watching the Nigella show,and once she too had made the chocolate X’mas cake and I wanted to try it out,but was not confident since I am preparing for friends relatives etc too.But ur recipe gave me confidence to try it out this time,but in the ingredients I see self raising flour,which is not easily available in india..can u suggest what I can substitute this with?
Maria,
I would like to make this cake very much.But alas,I stay in Kuwait where rum is unavailable or rather prohibited. :(
Is there any substitute for rum without much compromise on flavour or taste?
Thanks,
Soja.
Hi Soja,
Though I havent used any substitutes for rum, some of my readers used orange juice instead of rum. You can see their comment under the traditional Xmas cake recipe in the site. I guess that’s a good substitute. Hope you will like the cake.
Please do share your feedback, if you happen to bake this :)
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria..jus got to know about ur site recently!!! The recipes are awesome specially the malayalee christian recipes..:) Tried baking this cake…..it is tasty n yum…but am not able to slice it into pieces…..am confused wht went wrong…:(
Hi Princy,
Thanks for visiting us and also for leaving a comment. Great to know that you like the recipes here. :)
I assume you’re saying that cake is crumbling when you trying to cut it, is it? Try dipping the knife in hot water, wipe it & cut the cake. Hope it works.
Cheers
Maria
Maria, was thnking if u dint use any raising agent here?…ur cake looks real good…i want to try one w/o chocolate n bake it in 6 inch pan, n reached here….we love fruit cakes, so thought of baking one w/o alcohol….
Shabs, I’ve used 2 tbsp of self raising flour, I guess that’s why there is no other raising agent. If you are using plain flour, add baking powder accordingly. Hope it works…
Cheers
Maria
Divs – thanks dear and yes the cake was absolutely moist. Each bite was a pleasure :). I did miss the excitement of soaking of the fruits though…
Tinakutty – thank you :)
Ria – thanks for the wishes and am waiting to see your fruit cake, post it soon…
Lina – am fine dear. Will try to post more healthy recipes, please do drop in again…
Sherleena – Thank you for dropping in. Hope you will like the recipes from here and please let me know your feedback. I will be adding some Xmas recipes in the coming days :)
Hi Maria,
I recently visted ur website and in no time am a big fan of ur receipes, i have made a note of almost all ur receipes and i would be trying it out.. so when are u adding ur new set of receipes for this festive season.
Advanced Merry christmas
Hey, Maria.. how ya doing? must say perfect recipe for the perfect season..I am a regular follower of your site..keep up the good work………..Expecting more recipes on healthy snack s category…..
Mariakutty,
I have seen Nigella’s chocolate fruitcake and now yours! It looks so delicious! My fruits have been soaked to death and they are waiting to jump out of the glass jars :)
Will be making a fruit cake soon! Hope you have a merry season!
xx
Wow perfect cake for this season dear….Delicious and yummy…
Yum yum yum!!! I am planning to soak the fruits today..:).But while that is getting ready maybe I can try this out…looks so moist and delicious and chocolate in fruit cake is definitely a yummilicious idea..:)