Chocolate fruit cake

This is one post which got delayed tremendously as I had to share inter recipes like soaking of the fruits and the procedure of caramel syrup. I followed the  recipe exactly from the baking group ‘fondbites bake along’ and this is bakealong recipe #55. I also followed the same measurement as per the recipe as I had baked during Christmas time and had to share the bake with my loved one’s. The method of the recipe might look lengthy but trust me procedure is not as lengthy as the recipe, only the instruction is elaborate .

This is the first time I used alcohol while baking . And the final product was simply out of the world. There was a time I would hesitate to bake a recipe which called for alcohol .But now I have come out of that zone  and wouldn’t mind using the same . 

My special thanks to Subhashini Ramsingh ma’am for this recipe and I bet her detailed explanation  will help my readers too  just like it helped me . Until then stay tuned for more interesting recipes !

Recipe adapted from : Fondbites 

Click here  for the recipe of how to soak fruits ?

Click here for the recipe of caramel syrup .

Ingredients :

All-purpose flour – 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons

Cocoa powder – 3/4 cups

Baking powder – 2 teaspoons

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Mixed spice powder *- 3 teaspoon

Orange zest and juice – 1 orange

Butter – 350 gms

Granulated white sugar – 1 1/2 cups

Brown sugar – 3/4 cups

Pure vanilla extract – 2 teaspoons

Eggs – 5

Thick Curd – 1 1/2 cup

Mixed dry fruits – 2 1/2 cups

Mixed nuts  1/2 cup ( Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts Hazelnuts)

Chocolate Chips  – 1/2 cup

Method for mixed spice powder:

Process 2 sticks of cinnamon, 4 cloves, 3 cardamon, 1/4 nutmeg along with a tablespoon of granulated white sugar in the small jar of your food processor. Sift it using a sieve and use the finest of the powder.*

Method for the cake :

1. Grease 3 pans and line with parchment paper .
2. Butter on top of the parchment paper as well.
3. Sift together all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, spices and add zest of orange.
4. Beat butter ,white sugar  and brown sugar with an electric beater.
5. Beat for 6 to 7 minutes until it turns creamy , fluffy and pale in colour.
6. Add the eggs one by one and beat for about one minute after the addition of each egg on medium speed.
7. Add vanilla extract and beat for about a minute until it combines well.
8. Add thick curd and beat it.
9. Do not add any water to i
10. Now take the soaked fruits in a bowl.
11. Add 2 tablespoons of flour onto the dry fruits and crumble it using your finger tips to coat the fruits with flour and set aside.
12.  This is done to avoid the fruits sinking to the bottom of the cake.
13. Add 1/3rd of the flour mixture into the batter and beat on low speed just until combined.
14. Do not over mix.
15. Mix orange juice and the curd together and add 1/2 of the liquid mixture into the batter and beat just until combined.
16. Do not over mix.
17. Repeat the procedure.
18. Add the fruits and nuts into the batter and fold in using your spatula or wooden spoon to mix well .
19. Finally add the chocolate chips and fold in again thoroughly .
20. Pour batter into the prepared tins.
21. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 150 degree C for 35 to 45 minutes until the top is spongy to touch and a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
22. Cool on wire racks.
23. Once completely cool,  bast the cakes with alcohol and cling wrap the cakes and let it mature.
24. You may skip the basting step and just cling wrap the cake for further use.
25. Since the dry fruits were soaking in alcohol these cakes have a long shelf life.

My notes:

• I used  store bought 3/4 tsp each of cardamom powder, nutmeg powder , cinnamon powder and clove powder.
• I added the orange zest at the later stage.
• Do not skip any steps.

Pictorial presentation: