Today I am going to share a perfect festive season special Homemade plum cake recipe with you all. It’s a delicious, eggless fruit cake that I baked in the air fryer. This recipe doesn’t need to soak the dry fruits for days and yet it tastes so yummy and flavorful.
What is plum cake?
Plum cake is a type of cake that traditionally contains a mixture of dried fruits, spices, and sometimes nuts. Contrary to what the name suggests, the plum cake does not actually contain plums as an ingredient.
The dried fruits typically used in plum cake include raisins, currants, and prunes, which were once referred to as “plums.” Other ingredients may include candied peel, almonds, spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, and sometimes brandy or other liquors.
Plum cake is often associated with the holiday season, particularly Christmas, and is a popular treat in many parts of the world. It can be served plain or with a topping such as whipped cream or icing and can be enjoyed as a dessert or with a cup of tea or coffee.
How To Make Plum Cake
First, we need to prepare the dry fruits for the cake.
Ingredients:
- Dry Fruits
- Orange Juice- 1/3 Cup
- Water- 1/3 Cup
- Lemon Juice- 1 Tbsp
- Raisins- 1/4 Cup
- Dried Apricots- 1/4 Cup
- Dried Cranberry- 1/8 Cup
- Tutti Frutti- 1 Cup
- Prunes- 1/8 Cup
Instructions:
1: In a saucepan, add fresh or bottled orange juice, water, and lemon juice.
2: Add raisins, dried cranberries, prunes, apricots, and tutty fruity to the juice mixture.
3: Cook under medium flame until the mixture thickens and the dry fruits absorb all the juices.
Set aside.
Prepare the dry mixture
Dry Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour- 1+1/4 Cup
- Cocoa Powder- 1/4 Cup
- Baking powder- 1 Tsp
- Baking Soda- 1/2 Tsp
- Cinnamon powder- 1/4 Tsp
- Dry Ginger Powder- 1/8 Tsp
- Clove Powder- 1/8 Tsp
- Nutmeg powder- 1/8 Tsp
- Orange Zest- 1 Tsp
Instruction:
In a bowl add all-purpose flour, add cocoa powder, add baking powder, add baking soda, add dry ginger powder, add cinnamon powder, add clove powder, and nutmeg powder. Add a teaspoon of orange zest, and mix well to avoid lumps. (orange zest is optional)
Prepare the cake batter
Ingredients For Cake Batter:
- Oil- 1/2 Cup
- Brown Sugar- 3/4 Cup
- Yogurt- 1 Cup
- Vanilla Extract- 1 Tsp
- Almonds- 1/4 Cup
- Cashews- 1/4 Cup
- Walnuts- 1/4 Cup
1: Add vegetable oil, add brown sugar, and whisk it well. Then add vanilla extract, add yogurt, and add 2 eggs. And mix it well again. If you want you can substitute the yogurt with 4 eggs.
You can use homemade yogurt, check out the homemade yogurt recipe.
2: Now gently add in the dry ingredients mixture and mix until everything is well combined and there are no large flat pockets in the batter. Do not over-mix at the stage.
3: Fold in the soaked dry fruits you prepared in the start, and add chopped almonds, cashews, and walnuts. Keep a small portion of the soaked dry fruits aside. Adjust the dry fruits and nuts quantity according to your preference.
Finale Steps:
1: Line a 7-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. You can use any shape pan.
2: Add the remaining dry fruits over the cake. Cover the pan with foil and poke a hole on top of the foil to avoid browning.
3: Preheat the air fryer for a couple of minutes.
4: Once the preheating is done, bake the cake at 285 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.
5: After 45 minutes, take out the foil and bake the cake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Every air fryer is different, so adjust the temperature according to it.
Our chocolate-flavored fruit and nut cake in the air fryer is ready in 55 minutes in an instant vertex plus air fryer. Allow the cake to cool and serve. You can store the fruit cake in the refrigerator and it stays good for a week.
How long does it take to bake the plum cake In Air Fryer?
It takes 45 minutes to bake the chocolate fruit and nut cake in the air fryer at 285 degrees Fahrenheit. After 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake the cake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
How should I prepare the dry fruits for the chocolate fruit and nut cake?
To prepare the dry fruits for the chocolate fruit and nut cake, add fresh or bottled orange juice, water, and lemon juice to a saucepan. Add raisins, dried cranberries, prunes, apricots, and tutti frutti to the juice mixture. Cook under medium flame until the mixture thickens and the dry fruits absorb all the juices.
Why do we eat plum cake on Christmas?
Eating plum cake on Christmas is a tradition that dates back several centuries. In England, the tradition of eating fruitcakes during the holiday season began in the 16th century.
At the time, dried fruits such as raisins, currants, and prunes were considered luxury items and were often used in baked goods reserved for special occasions. Because they were expensive, dried fruits were often referred to as “plums,” and the name “plum cake” was used to describe any cake that contained them.
Over time, the tradition of eating fruitcakes on Christmas spread throughout Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, including the United States. Today, many families still bake and enjoy fruitcakes during the holiday season, often using recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Why Christmas cake is called plum cake?
Christmas cake is often called plum cake, but it does not contain plums as an ingredient. The term “plum” is actually a reference to the dried fruit, or “prunes,” that were traditionally used in fruitcakes.
In the 17th century, prunes were known as “plums,” and the term “plum cake” was used to describe any cake that contained dried fruit. Over time, the name stuck, and even though prunes are no longer the main dried fruit used in the cake, the name “plum cake” has continued to be used to refer to Christmas cakes that contain a mixture of dried fruits, spices, and sometimes nuts.
