Fruit Cake | Plum Cake Using Pressure Cooker | Christmas Cake ( (Non-Alcoholic) | Pressure Cooker Cake

Christmas cake is the most traditional one that you can smell in each bakeries and Christian homes, when Christmas and New year is nearing. This is the main edible gift that we would serve each other here on Christmas or New year in our native, and the smell itself just assures us its Christmas and joy just spreads over every where. Plum cakes are made in a bakery near our home every day even on non-festive days and it always tastes 'the best' and its a hit always. Though it tastes great am not a big fan of plum cakes, but I love its aroma, sounds weird I know, more weird thing is I don't like cakes with icing, though its kinda crazy I know there are some there out just like me. So enough of my hate list, but I make this plum cake without nuts only for myself only then I have it without fuss. Its because I love the non-nutty cakes more. Here today am going to share with you a plum cake recipe that can be prepared using a pressure cake. 

I was able see a lot of oven baked plum cakes but I could not find a good recipe for fruit cake using a pressure cooker so I thought would share this with you. I made two cakes for our neighbors and family. My 6 inch pan was all set in for making the other batch of this plum cake so I couldn't use my 6 inch pan and so used my 8 Inch x 2 Inch flower cake pan, this made the cake look thinner, so use a 6 inch pan for the following amount of ingredients to get a taller cake. 

There are many variations of plum cake, but the most predominant or traditional ones are the cakes made with alcohol, they are the true fruit cakes but it has been modified according to each one's liking. The alcoholic ones taste so rich and stays best for days, infact it tastes good as it gets old. But this non-alcoholic version is no inferior to the rum cake, it has its own flavors and it is best loved by many. So this is the non-alcoholic version that one of my friend and reader has been requesting for days. Am so sorry for the delay, but hope you love it. 

Here in this cake I have used a lot of dry fruits and nuts, I love using dates in my fruit cake so have used them. Equal amounts of all dry fruits and nuts or the below measurement will do to make a 6 inch wide cake. Though I made it using pressure cooker the cake was so soft and everyone at home enjoyed it. Try this for New year and let me know how you loved it. 

INGREDIENTS

Makes a small plum cake 
Total Preparation Time - 2 hours

1. Maida / All purpose flour - 45 grams + 2 to 3 spoons (1/2 cup)
2. Eggs - 2 
3. Unsalted butter - 75 grams (3/4 cup)
4. Sugar - 75 grams + 20 grams (for making ) (3/4 cup)
5. Boiled milk - 1/4 cup (50 ml) 
6. Dates - 30 grams (Seedless) (above 1/4 cup)
7. Tutti frutti - 30 grams (above 1/4 cup)
8. Raisins - 30 grams  (above 1/4 cup)
9. Cashews - 20 grams (1/4 cup)
10. Almonds, Walnuts - 20 grams  (1/4 cup) (I used more almonds as I like them more) 
11. Grated orange zest / Orange skin - 1 spoon  (You can use lemon zest too)
12. Baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon 
13. Vanilla essence - 5 drops 
14. Cinnamon stick - 1 small stick (1 inch long)
15. Cloves - 2 
16. Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
17. Salt - 1/4 tsp (optional) 

Note: Here you can use more amount of dry fruits and nuts according to your wish, but I used the above measurements  for making my cake. 

Extras You Will Need: 

1. Pressure Cooker (Whistle or regulator not needed throughout the process)
2. 6 inch wide cake pan. 
3. Hand blender or whisk. 

PREPARATION METHOD

Pre-preparation

• Take butter from refrigerator and keep at room temperature. Let it soften well. 
• Add baking powder and salt to maida and sieve well 5 times. This will help the baking powder spread evenly. 
• Chop nuts and dates into smaller pieces. Then mix all the dry fruits, grated orange zest and nuts together and add 2 spoons of Maida / All purpose flour and mix well set aside. 

• Take some almonds in a blender, add cloves and cinnamon stick and nutmeg powder and grind into a coarse mixture. (I did this because I needed and used only small amount of spices and so it would be difficult to grind them alone. In case if you are doing in larger quantities then, then grind them separately store or use them.)
• To a pan add 20 grams of sugar and place on flame and wait until it browns. It should have a deep brown color. Then carefully pour 1/4 cup of water immediately and stir well. Remove from flame. 

• Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Beat egg whites well until it turns frothy. I used an electric hand blender, you can use a fork or a whisk also, but it will take more time. 
• Now beat the egg yolks also well and set aside. It wont become frothy like the egg whites. 

Batter Preparation 

• Now take a big bowl and add butter and beat well for 2 minutes. 
• Then add the sugar into the bowl and beat well again for 3 minutes. 

• Now add sifted flour and beaten egg yolks into this butter and sugar mixture little by little and beat well. (Take care to add the flour and egg yolks little by little simultaneously  do not add all the flour and egg yolk at the same time). 

• Then add the beaten egg whites little by little and beat again until it blends well. 
• Add 3 spoons of sugar caramel that we have prepared and mix well using a whisk or fork.  (If using a beater don't beat for long)
• Now add milk, vanilla essence and mix well. (Add milk accordingly, the batter should be bit thick not too runny nor too thick, if the batter is runny the cake will lose its texture and the dry fruits and nuts will sink into the batter)
• Then add the nuts and dry fruits mixture, spice mixture into the batter and mix well using a ladle or fork or whisk. (If using the beater don't beat for long)
• Grease all the insides of a 6 inch pan (I used a 8 Inch x 2 Inch flower cake pan) and dust it with flour. Line inside bottom of the pan with a parchment or butter paper. Then pour the batter into the pan. 

Baking Cake using the Pressure cooker

• Preheat a pressure cooker as follows. Place a pressure cooker on flame and place a separator and close the cooker with its lid. Remove the whistle/regulator you wont need it throughout the process. Let this be set up undisturbed for 10 minutes on high flame. (you can either close the cooker with the lid as you normally do or place the lid upside down too).
• Now open the cooker and gently place the cake pan with batter into the preheated cooker. 
• Close the cooker with the lid and switch on to low flame. (Do not place the whistle / regulator). 
• Cook for 45 minutes and remove from flame. (Check in between whether the cake has got cooked, for this insert a tooth pic or knife into the cake and see if it comes out clean, if so the cake is ready, if not cook for some more time). 

• Now run a knife around the edges of the cake and tap the cake off from the pan and cool completely before serving. 
• Slice and serve or gift pack them. 

TIP 1: To avoid the cake from sticking to the pan you can grease a round shaped oil paper and place it on the greased and floured pan and then pour the batter over it. This will help you to easily tap off the cake from the pan. 

TIP 2: While making the sugar caramel pour the water gently and mix well. Do not pour water after removing from flame, it will harden immediately and wont mix with water. If in case this happens place on flame again pour some water, it will start to melt and mix well. 

TIP 3: Always see that the eggs and butter are at room temperature. Don't use eggs directly from the refrigerator it will curdle up your cake batter. Even if it curdles do not worry, your cake will come out just perfect after baking. 

TIP 4: Instead of using sugar caramel you can use 50 grams of honey here. But using caramel gives you the brown cake. 

TIP 5: If you want to get better flavors and a softer cake, soak the dry fruits and nuts in apple juice or grape juice atleast for 3 hours and then use it for making the cake. It gives a nice flavor and as the dry fruits gets cooked it will release the flavors and juice and make the cake more soft and avoid it from becoming rough. 

TIP 6: Always beat the egg whites first and then best the egg yolks, because even a single drop of egg yolk will prevent the egg whites from becoming frothy. 

TIP 7: Mixing up the dry fruits and nuts in flour helps avoid them from sinking into the batter. 

TIP 8: For making the same cake in oven, here are the settings. Preheat at  350 or 360 (160 degree C) then while baking reduce the temperature to 300 F (150 degree C) and bake for a longer time, check in between to see whether the cake is done.The lowest heat will be the best or else the cake will brown too much or burn too much and the flavor will be lost. Insert a tooth pick or clean knife to see if it comes out clean is so it is done. Place a butter or oil paper into the pan and then pour the batter to avoid burning at the bottom, because you will be baking for a longer time. 

Aromatic, Soft and delicious Plum cake is now ready!! Just a pressure cooker is enough to make your favorite cake!! 

Related recipes

• Chocolate Mug Cake Using Pressure Cooker | Christmas Desserts | Christmas Recipes | New Year Recipes (youtoocancookindianfood.blogspot.com)
• Mini Banana Walnut Cake Using Pressure Cooker | Christmas Recipes (youtoocancookindianfood.blogspot.com)