Servings : Makes 1 loaf cake
This beautiful and colourful light fruit cake is the perfect accompaniment for tea or coffee and is really easy to put together.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups plain/all purpose flour (180gm)
- 1/2 cup powdered almonds (60 gm) - you can also use half a cup of flour in place of the powdered almonds
- 170gm butter or margarine, (or a combination of the two) softened (approx 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup sugar, grinded to a powder (100gm) - you can increase an extra quarter cup (50gm) for a sweeter cake
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup dried fruits and candied peel (if you are not using candied peel, add the zest of 1 lemon)
- 1/2 cup chopped cherries (I used a combination of red and green)
- 2 tsp. vanilla essence
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 cup milk (50ml)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- almond flakes for decorating the top
Instructions
Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
Preheat oven at 170C. Grease the line of the loaf pan, then dust it with flour. Recommended size is a 9x5x3 inch pan.
Remove 1 tbsp. from the flour and sprinkle it over the dried fruits and mix. This will help ensure that they do not sink to the bottom of the back during baking. Set aside.
Add the vanilla essence in the milk. Set aside.
Sieve/sift the rest of the flour with the baking powder and salt. Then add the powdered almonds and still well. Set aside.
Beat the butter/margarine with the powdered sugar in a big bowl until light and fluffy. Be sure to beat them well because this cake requires very little baking powder so this stage is crucial in ensuring you have a light and fluffy cake.
Once the butter and sugar are light and creamy, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. The mixture will appear curdled but do not worry about that, it will smoothen out when the flour is added later.
Add the flour and milk/vanilla in three installments, combining gently between each addition, starting with the flour, then the milk and ending with the flour again. Make sure not to over mix the batter at this stage.
Finally add the dried fruits and chopped cherries and gently stir them in with a spatula. Pour this batter into your prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the almond flakes over the cake and then bake in the preheated oven at 170C for about 45 minutes to an hour or until skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. During baking, if you find that the top is colouring too quickly you can cover the cake lightly with a piece of foil midway through baking.
Place the loaf pan on a wire to coll slightly and then turn the cake out of the pan and allow it to cool completeley before slicing. The loaf will keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days, and longer if refrigerated.
Enjoy! 🙂
Made today for Eid and it
Made today for Eid and it turned out super moist and tasty. Have sent you the picture on your hotmail. Thank you so much for making my Eid so special. Love all your recipes.Jazakallahkhair.
Hi fauzia, can u plz tell
Hi fauzia, can u plz tell which all dried fruits u used…
Raisins, sultanas and dried
Raisins, sultanas and dried candied peels of lemon/orange.
Hi how to make almond powder?
Hi how to make almond powder?
Hi, blanch the almonds and
Hi, blanch the almonds and remove their peels. Dry them then grind to a powder.
assalam o alaikum fauzia.can
assalam o alaikum fauzia.can i make this fruit cake on stove top?and if i use pressure cooker for stove top baking then should i remove the rubber from the cookr or not?can i use raisins,almonds,walnuts as dried fruits?
W/Salaam, yes you can use a
W/Salaam, yes you can use a pressure cooker. You will need to use the rubber to create a tight seal just don’t use the whistle/pressure valve and make sure to place something inside the pan to raise the cake pan so it does not touch the bottom. Yes you can use raisins, almonds, walnuts.
Hi, made this for Christmas &
Hi, made this for Christmas & everyone loved it. however how can i make it to be a bit more moist.
Hi, thanks! You can increase
Hi, thanks! You can increase the butter to 1 cup. Also, make a simple syrup by boiling equal parts sugar and water for a few minutes then allow this syrup to cool completely. You can then add a bit of vanilla essence and put this syrup in a squirt bottle to spray on the cake, or just brush the syrup over the cake slices to keep it moist.
Thank u very much for the
Thank u very much for the quick feed back.will definitely try it again.also pls post a recipe for the rich fruit cake.thank u.wish you a blessed & prosperous 2015.
I made this three times but
I made this three times but my problem is when I bake it my cake’s sides and bottom get brown soon while center need more time for completebaking… because of which sides and bottom get blackish what to do???
Sounds like your oven runs a
Sounds like your oven runs a bit too hot and there is more heat from the bottom than there is from the top. Adjust the heat accordingly.
mera koi b comment nahi
mera koi b comment nahi upload ho raha .
In English please so I can
In English please so I can understand and respond? 🙂
Hi plz tell me if i dont want
Hi plz tell me if i dont want to use cherries than is it ok ? Plz reply me soon if possible thanks
Hi, yes that is fine.
Hi, yes that is fine.
Hi thanks fouzia appi …your
Hi thanks fouzia appi …your recipes are awsome thanks