Christmas Fruit & Walnut Cake

Name: Christmas Fruit & Walnut Cake
Total time: 6300 s
Yield: 6 people (makes
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1/4 cup fruit juice (I used fresh orange juice); 2-3 tbsp tutti frutti; 1 tbsp golden raisins; 1 tbsp black currants; 1 tbsp cranberries; 2 tbsp dried and candied assorted fruits (Kiwi, Pineapple, Orange); 2-3 soft dates; 1 cup whole wheat flour; 1 tbsp cornflour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder; 1/4 tsp ginger powder; 2 tbsp milk powder; 1 pinch nutmeg (optional); 1/2 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar/ lime juice, for the buttermilk; 1/2 cup roasted California walnuts, chopped; 2 tbsp sugar +1 tbsp water + 4 tbsp water, for the caramel syrup; 1/4 cup brown sugar; as required Some Orange zest; 1 tsp vanilla essence; 1/4 cup melted butter; as required Some milk, for brushing; as required Icing sugar, for dusting on top

nehadeepakshah @cook_14338228

New Delhi

Christmas is not just a festival, its a feeling of happiness, an accomplished year and each year I always think of being healthy in the coming year. This year is the same!
This recipe is soulfully delicious and a healthy take, away from heavily frosted cakes.
With the goodness of walnuts, it's eggless, made from whole wheat and contains no alcohol!

nehadeepakshah @cook_14338228

Saved

Ingredients

1 hour 45 mins

6 people (makes

For soaking-
1/4 cupfruit juice (I used fresh orange juice)
2-3 tbsptutti frutti
1 tbspgolden raisins
1 tbspblack currants
1 tbspcranberries
2 tbspdried and candied assorted fruits (Kiwi, Pineapple, Orange)
2-3soft dates
For the dry mix-
1 cupwhole wheat flour
1 tbspcornflour
1 tspbaking powder
1/2 tspbaking soda
1/4 tspcinnamon powder
1/4 tspginger powder
2 tbspmilk powder
1 pinchnutmeg (optional)
Others-
1/2 cupmilk + 1 tsp vinegar/ lime juice, for the buttermilk
1/2 cuproasted California walnuts, chopped
2 tbspsugar +1 tbsp water + 4 tbsp water, for the caramel syrup
1/4 cupbrown sugar
as required Some Orange zest
1 tspvanilla essence
1/4 cupmelted butter
as required Some milk, for brushing
as requiredIcing sugar, for dusting on top

Saved

Steps

1 hour 45 mins

1

Start with soaking the fruits into the juice. Mix them all really well and keep aside for an hour.
2

For the dry mix, sieve everything (all the dry mix ingredients) together and keep aside.
3

For the buttermilk, mix in the vinegar/ lime juice into the milk and set aside for exactly 10 minutes.
4

Now, take the chopped walnuts and add ½ tsp of the dry mix to it. Keep it aside too.
5

For the caramel syrup, heat sugar and 1 tbsp water in a pan. Cook on a low flame with continuous stirring until the mixture turns golden.
6

Once it turns golden, add in 4 tbsp of water and cook until the solution becomes uniform.
7

Remove and keep aside to cool.
8

Now, to make the cake batter, take a large mixing bowl. Add the soaked fruits, caramel syrup, brown sugar, orange zest and mix well.
9

Add the prepared buttermilk, and give a good mix.
10

Now, add in the dry mix in two parts. Add the first half and mix very gently. DO NOT OVER MIX.
11

Add the balance dry mix and melted butter. Again, give a gentle mix.
12

Lastly, add the walnuts and mix once again.
13

Transfer the batter into a baking tin (lined with parchment paper) and bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 45- 50 minutes in a preheated oven.
14

Remove and brush with some milk. This prevents the cake from drying.
15

Cover with a muslin cloth and let it cool in the baking tin itself for 10 minutes
16

After 10 minutes, unmould and cool it further on a wire rack. This prevents soggy bottoms.
17

Once cooled completely, dust with some icing sugar on top.
18

Garnish, slice and serve.
19

Enjoyyyy!
20

Vishesh Tippani- Sieving is important as it ensures that no lumps remain. It also incorporates air into the dry mix.
21

Keep the buttermilk aside for exactly 10 minutes.
22

Coating the nuts with some flour before adding them to the batter, prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
23

Whenever zesting the orange or any other citrus peel, make sure to just grate thrice at one spot. Grating more will add in the bitter white peel too.
24

DO NOT OVERMIX THE BATTER. It will make your cake dense.
25

Do not add the dry mix all at once.
26

Always make sure to pre-heat your over. It ensures uniform baking of your cake.
27

Always, grease and dust your cake tin. It prevents your cake from sticking to the pan. you can also line it with a parchment paper.
28

Brushing the cake top with some milk after baking prevents it from drying.
29

Cooling on a wire rack is important as it prevents soggy bottoms.