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Last minute plum cake or christmas fruit cake set up on the table for slicing
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Last Minute Plum Cake (Christmas Fruit Cake)

This recipe for plum cake is what you can use if you want to make some at the last minute. No pre-soaking dried fruits and nuts for days, but the same intense flavour and moist cake that everyone loves. Its an easy Christmas fruit cake recipe that you'll be making again and again!
Course Desserts
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 8 Slices
Calories 576kcal
Author Richa

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 250 ml Dark rum or 200 ml apple juice for a non alcoholic version
  • 250 grams Chopped dried fruits and nuts cashew nuts, almonds, raisins, sultanas, prunes, chironji, walnuts etc
  • 50 grams Chopped candied orange peel substitute with zest of 1 orange
  • 160 grams All purpose flour
  • 15 grams Cocoa powder unsweetened
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Cinnamon powder
  • ½ teaspoon Nutmeg freshly grated
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 150 grams Dark brown sugar
  • 175 grams Butter at room temperature
  • ½ tablespoon Almond extract (optional)
  • 4 Eggs
Metric - US Customary

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, add rum, dried fruits and nuts and orange peel. Bring this to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Take this off the heat and set this aside for 1-2 hours, or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
  • When you are ready to bake the cake, pre-heat oven to 160 C/ 320 F. Line the base and sides of an 8 inch springform cake tin with parchment paper, making sure that the sides of the parchment paper are higher than the cake tin. Watch the video above to see how I do this.
  • Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Add dark brown sugar, butter, almond extract (if using) and eggs and whisk with an electric whisk till combined. Add the soaked dried fruits and nuts and fold with a spatula.
  • Pour this batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for approximately 90 minutes. Start checking for doneness around the 80 minute mark. In some ovens, this cake can take up to 2 hours because it bakes long and slow. Use your judgement after the 80 minute mark, and check in 10-15 minute intervals.
  • Once baked, let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, after which you can take the cake out of the tin or release the sides of the springform tin and let the cake cool completely.

Notes

  • Alcohol Substitute: You can substitute the dark rum with brandy and port wine, or if you want to omit the alcohol, substitute with 200 ml of apple juice for a non alcoholic plum cake
  • Orange Peel: You can substitute the orange peel for the same amount of lemon peel, or even use 25g of each
  • Almond Extract: This adds a really nice flavour but isn't mandatory so you can skip this if you don't have access to this
  • Storage: This cake can be stored in the fridge for weeks or can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 5mg