Easy Light Fruit Cake / Vanilla Fruit Cake

Vanilla fruit cake with detailed photos

Advance happy Xmas and new year wishes to everybody. Xmas is ahead so everybody will be busy planning for celebrations. The Christmas days always remembering me, those olden days of my college celebrations. Yes, like others  it was wonderful days of  joy with cakes, wines, gifts and cards. Memories are still showering and feels that everything were just happened yesterday. Exchange of gifts and cards to dear ones is always special. Most memorable and lovely days of my life.

Today we will see the preparation of  easy light fruit cake. Light means its color and flavor are simple. It is entirely different from the Christmas cakes available in the bakeries. But can be considered as a basic fruit cake, because with the addition of some more ingredients, we can convert it into dark fruit cake.

In this cake, the dry fruits used are some raisins, cashews and candied fruits like cherry and tutti frutti. We can add any fruits of our choice.  Use dry fruits of your choice but stick on the quantity mentioned in the recipe . I soaked the fruits in rum for  a few days before preparation. The traditional way of preparation recommended this. If you do not have time, then can add rum and dry fruits separately, but i will strongly recommend this step as this is the one and only step to make the dry fruits moist and juicy.  Once again,

Wishing  a

Merry Christmas 

and

 A very prosperous new year to all 

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Vanilla fruit cake recipe | Bakery fruit cake recipe | Easy light fruit cake recipe

Fruit rich vanilla cakes

Preparation time: 2 weeks 15 minutes | cooking time: 1 hour | Total time: 2 weeks 1 hour 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 125 gram all purpose flour
• 100 gram castor sugar
• 130 gram butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• Lemon zest from one lemon
• 1/4 cup milk
• 120 gram tutti frutti
• 100 gram cherries
• 40 gram raisins
• 1/2 cup rum
• Cashews for garnishing

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How To Make Vanilla Fruit Cake At Home With Step by Step Photos

1. The first step of preparation is soaking of dry fruits or candied fruits in rum. For that take all fruits in a bowl and add 1/2 cup of rum and keep covered for about two weeks. If you do not have that much time, soak at least for a night. You can add fruits and rum separately also, but the traditional way of preparation demands soaking for at least two weeks to one month. 
   
2. Now we will start cake preparation. Take 130 grams butter in a bowl and beat it a little bit so that the butter softens.
   
3. Add castor sugar. You can use powdered sugar also. 
   
4. Beat again till the sugar and butter combine well and the colour turns to light yellow.
   
5. Now add three eggs. Put one at a time and beat after the addition of each egg. The mixture may curdle, don't worry, it is quite common.
   
6. Add vanilla extract, mix well. At this stage also, you can incorporate the dry fruits. But better add at the end.
   
7. Add half of the flour and mix at low speed. 
   
8. Then add remaining half and mix well.
   
9. At this stage the batter will be thick.
   
    
10. We have to make it little bit loose, so add 1/4 cups milk.
    
11. Also, the lemon zest will be incorporated at this stage.
    
12. Finally, add soaked dry fruits and mix well.
    
13. Grease a loaf pan with butter, cooking oil or shortening what ever you have and dust with all purpose flour. Pour the prepared cake batter.
    
14. Smack down on the counter for a few minutes to eliminate any air bubbles. Also level with a knife.
    
15. Place some cashews on top.
    
16. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The cake has to be cooked in  50 minutes. Check with a knife or a toothpick. If not done, cook again for a few more minutes.
    
17. Finally, the cake is done. Taste good when sits for two to three days. 
    

Fruit cake - Tips

1. Soak dry fruits for about 2 weeks before baking. (At least soak a day before preparation.) It is the one and only step to keep dry fruits juicy and moist.
2. You can choose dry fruit of your choice. But stick on the quantity of the recipe.
3. After 50 minutes, the cake will be done. Check with a toothpick or knife and bake for some more time if required. The oven temperature, the size of pan, etc will affect the baking time.
4. One important thing, every component should be at room temperature.