As the winter is showing its claws and teeth, the ideal foil to thwart the winter is to bake. With the Christmas being a silent and little subdued this year, no joy is comparable to indulge into baking. And what could be better than to bake an orange flavoured rich spicy fruit cake full with walnut, almonds, colourful tutti frutti, currant and red cherries. With each bite there is taste of unbeatable fruity richness. Hope this New Year beholds all the colours and flavours of life.

Are you looking for an egg-less fruit cake recipe ?? Then your destination is here.

Ingredients :

1. Sifted cake flour – 150 gm. (1½ cup)
2. Granulated white sugar – 150 gm. (¾ cup)
3. Butter (unsalted) – 185 gm. (at room temperature, cut into cubes)
4. Baking powder – 1¼ teaspoon
5. Cinnamon powder – 1 teaspoon
6. Ginger powder – 1 teaspoon
7. Freshly grated nutmeg – ½
8. Salt – ¼ teaspoon
9. Egg – 3 (at room temperature)
10. Fresh orange juice – 3 tbspoon
11. Vanilla extract – 1½ teaspoon
12. Tutti Frutti – 50 gm.
13. Cherries – 50 gm. (cut into small pieces)
14. Currant – 50 gm.
15. Walnuts – 50 gm. (coarsely chopped)
16. Almonds – 12- 15 (coarsely chopped)
17. Few cherry halves & walnut halves for garnishing

Procedure :

• At first grease a loaf tin with butter and line the bottom with a parchment paper.

• Also grind the granulated sugar a bit in a mixer grinder.
• Then whisk the eggs, orange juice and vanilla extract in a large bowl with a hand mixer until combined.

• Now in another large blow sift the flour and baking powder. Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & salt to it.

• Transfer all dry fruits and nuts in a separate bowl. Sprinkle over 1 tbspoon of flour mixture into the fruit mixture and coat them well with flour.

• Then to the dry (flour) mixture add butter and sugar. With the help of a spatula coat the butter with flour.
• After that, add half of the liquid mixture (i.e. egg mixture). Beat on low speed until the ingredients are mixed well.
• Then add half of the remaining liquid mixture and beat for 1½ minutes.
• Finally add rest of the egg mixture and beat for few more seconds.

• After that, pour the dry fruit & nut mixture to the cake batter and mix lightly with the help of a spatula.
• Now transfer the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Place the cherry & walnut halves at the top.

• Bake in a preheated oven for 55-65 minutes (depending upon the oven) at 180ºC.
• Grease a aluminum foil with butter and cover the loaf tin after 30 minutes of baking, if the cake seems to get burnt.

• Take out the cake from the oven, cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out, peel off the lining paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

• Serve in slices.

Note :

1. Do not add salt if you are using salted butter.
2. There is no need to grind the sugar if the granules are really small.