Eggless Fruit Cake

Merry Christmas to everyone :D  Hope you all enjoyed and had a blast.  With incoming guests at home, I made this Eggless fruit cake to suit the occasion.  It was devoured in no time, and I as mighty impressed with myself.  Here are few clicks .....

The only prep needed was to marinate dry fruits and nuts overnight, you can throw few spice powders if you like - they will elevate the flavors for sure.  I have used condensed milk as a substitute for eggs.  Do let us know how it tastes as the recipe follows. 

Preparation time:  25 minutes 

Soaking time: 24 hours

Baking time: 40-45 minutes 

(Note that Baking time may differ from oven to oven or from baking pan used)

Serves: 6

Ingredients required

For marination

• 100ml of grape juice
• 3/4 cup of finely chopped nuts like almonds, pista, cashew
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped dates, orange peel and raisins

Dry ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose-flour / Maida
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Wet ingredients

• 3/4 cup condensed milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Soak fruits and nuts with grape juice and refrigerate overnight.   

Next day, grease your clean baking pan with butter and line them with parchment paper.  Also dust this pan with flour and keep aside.  Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.   In a dry vessel, take all dry ingredients, sieve thrice and keep aside.  

Remove marinate, reserving grape juice in a bowl.  Transfer this to dry ingredients and mix well.  This is done so that nuts don't stick to bottom of baking vessel.  

In another clean vessel, add in all wet ingredients and blend very well.  

Now,alternatively add in dry mixture and reserved grape marinate in three batches.  

Mix them gently with help of spatula, without any lumps.  

Transfer this to baking pan and into hot oven.  Bake for about thirty to thirty five minutes or till done.  

Alternatively, when they are baking, I made star-shaped cut-outs from parchment paper to top my cake.  

This is my cake, out of the oven.  They are done since an knife inserted into center has come out clean.  Also run the knife quickly round the edges.   

I inverted them over wire rack.

Thanks for my luck, cake came out perfectly well.  

Now brushing the top with oil, place the cut-outs over the top.

Quickly dusted them with icing sugar.  

Remove the cut-outs and get surprised :)  Don't they look lovely??  :)

 Enjoy with an hot cup of tea :D  :D  :D  :D  :D

Happy Baking  :D  :D  :D  :D and Merry Christmas :D   :D  :D