To accompany your weekend baking plans..some fruit cake!
Or just bake a basic vanilla sauce, drizzle with your favorite dessert sauce and enjoy!
Fruit cake is one of those classic recipe made world over for many special occasions, next to chocolate cake that is! Endless & delicious versions of it are available no doubt. And I wanted to try out a two flavored and two shaded one this time. No particular reason for it. It just sounded and looked very interesting when I came across the recipe. With minor twists here and there to suit our taste, I finally did bake one. The flavors were spot on – just how I imagined it to be. Though mom would argue here saying how doubtful I was on the cake turning out fine as I mixed and shoved it into the oven..LOL!
I have also given the recipe for a basic vanilla sponge cake after many requests from readers. This basic cake can be used as a basic recipe for any other cake recipes calling for a basic vanilla sponge. Or just bake a basic and top with with vanilla custard and serve for a delicious dessert. Fresh fruits can even be thrown in over the vanilla custard. This looks as well as tastes good!
Or serve slices of vanilla sponge cake with some fresh fruit sauce or compote or top the cake with plain/ flavored icing of your choice. Wel,l the possibilities are endless.
Make it a celebration time, bake a fruit and nut cake for your next dinner party and enjoy the fruity and nutty flavors of this cake!
Fruit & Nut Cake
A fruit & moist eggless cake
Basic vanilla cake batter
- 1 cup measuring 200 ml used
- Condensed milk – ½ tin
- Vegetable oil (odourless – 1/3 cup (i used sunflower))
- Castor/ powdered sugar – 1 tbsp
- Maida/ plain flour – 1 cup
- Baking powder – 1 tsp
- Baking soda – ½ tsp
- Milk – 1/3 cup
- vanilla essence – 1 tsp – if making only a basic vanilla sponge cake, else skip this
Other ingredients for a fruit & nut cake
- Cocoa powder – 1 tbsp
- Chopped nuts – 2 tbsp – like walnuts (cashew, almonds)
- Vanilla essence – ½ tp
- Dry fruits (chopped – 2 tbsp – like raisins, cranberries, prunes, tutti fruity)
- Strawberry essence – ½ tsp
- Grease a 7” round tin OR 8”x4” loaf tin. (I used a bundt pan).
- Preheat oven at 1800 C (or 150 C for plain vanilla cake).
- Measure maida, add baking powder and baking soda to it, mix. Set aside. Measure milk and set aside. Chop nuts, dry fruits, set aside.
- In a mixing bowl beat together condensed milk, oil, sugar for a minute or till well mixed (hand whisk or electric beater).
- Seive into the mixing bowl half of the maida mixture and add half the milk. Beat well.
- [If making only a basic vanilla sponge cake, add 1 tsp vanilla essence now. Else skip this proceed below].
- Seive in the remaining flour and add remaining milk. Beat 2 to 3 mins till mixture is light.
- For plain vanilla cake, pour batter into greased tin & bake at 150 C for 30 mins or till toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Else, proceed as below.
- Divide the batter into 2 parts.
- To one part add cocoa powder, nuts, ½ tsp vanilla essence. Mix with spatula. If too thick may add 2 to 3 tsps water if needed. Pour into greased tin as bottom layer and spread.
- To remaining portion of batter, add dry fruits, ½ tsp strawberry essence. Mix with a clean spatula..
- Pour on top of cocoa batter and spread on top. Do not mix.
- May sprinkle some chopped nuts on top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 mins or till toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove and cool in tin for 10 mins. Un mould and cool completely on wire rack. Cut and serve/ store in airtight box in refrigerator.
You may top Fruit and Nut cake with plain glaze icing or lemon flavour icing.
The plain vanilla sponge cake can be used as base recipe for making other flavoured cakes or for puddings.
Serve Basic vanilla sponge as is or topped with fresh fruit sauce or vanilla custard or any icing of your choice.
The above recipe can be easily doubled.
Add some dry fruits, tutti fruity to basic vanilla batter & bake!
Tags: cake, eggless, fruit, nuts
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