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You are here: Home / Cake Recipes / Kerala plum cake, Christmas fruit cake recipe step by step

Kerala plum cake, Christmas fruit cake recipe step by step

December 13, 2023 276 Comments

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Kerala Plum Cake or Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe – a delicious and easy step by step recipe for fruit cake or Kerala plum cake, that’s perfect for Christmas or really, all year round.

Kerala Plum Cake | Christmas Fruit Cake RecipePin

Christmas in Kerala is what memories are made of. I haven’t come back in 6 years so this year is extra special. Except for once or twice when I was a kid, Amma hasn’t made fruit cake at home from scratch because every year we are inundated with fruit cakes from friends celebrating Christmas.

Table of Contents

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  • Kerala Plum Cake, Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe
    • Ingredients  
    • Instructions 
    • Notes
  • Step by Step Kerala Plum Cake / Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe
Kerala Plum Cake | Christmas Fruit Cake RecipePin

This year’s first cake is this Kerala plum cake from Omana Paul, a popular caterer and good friend of ours. Their plum cake is very popular and they make thousands at this time of the year. Amma had the recipe so I wanted to share it in time for Christmas. I have also shared an eggless fruit cake recipe if that’s what you are after. This tutti frutti cake is perfect for those who don’t really like plum cakes or raisins. I have a few of those in my family too but tutti frutti, they love!

Kerala Plum Cake | Christmas Fruit Cake RecipePin

Also check out a list of easy Christmas cakes and cookies.

This fruit cake recipe doesn’t need you to soak the dry fruits in advance and it’s alcohol-free so you can make the cake instantly just before you need it.

KERALA PLUM CAKE, CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE RECIPEPin

Kerala Plum Cake, Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

Nags
Kerala Plum Cake or Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe – a delicious and easy step by step recipe for fruit cake or Kerala plum cake recipe.
5 from 85 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Course Cake
Servings 12 Slices

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup plain flour maida or all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cashew nuts raw, unsalted, chopped
  • 1/4 cup black raisins
  • 1/2 cup mixed dried fruits dates, cherries, orange peels, etc
  • 1/2 cup white sugar for sugar syrup
  • 3/4 cup white sugar for cake batter
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon clove powder see notes
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • In a pan on medium heat, melt 1/2 cup sugar slowly.
  • It will first melt and then turn into a dark brown goop. Keep stirring and let it turn a deep dark caramel colour. Don't let it burn.
  • Turn off heat and add about 1/4 cup water. The sugar will harden.
  • Turn the heat back on and slowly heat the mixture until the sugar crystals dissolve.
  • This will take around 10 mins.
  • Once done, let it cool and set aside.
  • Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C.
  • Add 3 tablespoon flour to the dry fruits and nuts and dredge completely to coat it. This is so that they don't sink to the bottom of the batter while baking. Set aside.
  • Mix the remaining flour and baking powder, spices, and salt until well combined.
  • Beat the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until fluffy – about 10 mins by hand, 3-4 mins with an electric beater. 
  • Add vanilla and mix until combined. Next, add 1 egg and beat. Then add a bit of the flour mixture and fold. Likewise, alternate between the eggs and flour mixture until they are both used up.
  • Add the cooled caramel and dredged fruits and gently fold in.
  • Pour batter into a greased cake pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 50-55 mins until the top turns a dark brown and when a skewer inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs.
  • Start checking from 45 mins to see if the cake is done.
  • The top will look like it's overdone but don't worry, make sure the inside is also completely cooked.
  • Dust with icing sugar when the cake is completely cooled and serve
  • Kerala plum cake can be stored at room temperature for 3 days and refrigerated for up to two weeks

Notes

    • The amount of fruits and what type you want to use is entirely up to you. I’d recommend to use orange peels if you can because it enhances the flavour a lot. I have also made this cake just with cashew nuts and dates with some raisins and that’s worked really well too
    • If you plan to ice the cake, reduce sugar by 1/3 cup. This cake is sweet enough on its own.
    • I have updated the recipe with cinnamon powder and clove powder I bought readymade but you can also powder together  1 clove + 1 cardamom pod + small piece of cinnamon + a pinch nutmeg to add to the cake if you have the whole spices handy
    • I adjusted the amount of sugar from my original recipe since I found the cake too sweet but if you tried my original recipe and liked it in the past, the measurement for sugar used was 1/2 cup sugar for the syrup and 1 cup in the batter. I have now adjusted it to 3/4 cup for the batter.
    • What is Kerala plum cake? I get this question a lot especially why this cake is called  “plum cake” if there are no plums in the cake. Well, I am not entirely sure either but fruit cake is called plum cake in Kerala and maybe traditionally it always involved plums and the recipe has evolved.
    • If you don’t want to make the sugar syrup for Christmas cake from scratch, you can buy treacle from stores. It’s a thick sugar syrup that may also include molasses. Use 1/4 cup in place of the sugar syrup in this recipe.
    • You can replace the cashew nuts with almonds or walnuts too but personally I love cashew nuts in fruit cake.
    • The cake will be a bit tough to un-mould if you don’t grease the cake pan generously
Keyword christmas fruit cake, kerala plum cake

Step by Step Kerala Plum Cake / Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

This Kerala plum cake recipe requires you to caramelise sugar into a thick sugar syrup. Don’t be like me and worry about it, it’s really not that hard, you just need to be careful while doing it.

In a pan on medium heat, melt 1/2 cup sugar slowly. Do not add any water, just the sugar in a pan

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Keep stirring and let it turn a deep dark caramel colour. Don’t let it burn.In the picture below, the sugar is just starting to melt along the sides. Gently stir to get it going.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

You should start getting the smell of caramel at this stage.

Kerala plum cake, Christmas fruit cake recipe step by stepPin
Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Stir occasionally and keep heating. When it reaches the stage as shown in the below picture, you are ready to move on to the next step.

Turn off heat and add 1/4 cup water to the sugar syrup.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

The syrup will harden a bit and sizzle.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Turn the heat back on and slowly heat the mixture until the sugar crystals dissolve. This will take around 10 mins and the mixture will foam and bubble a bit like below.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Once all the sugar crystals are dissolved and you get a smooth syrup, turn off heat. Set aside and let this mixture cool while you proceed with the preparation of the fruit cake.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Set the oven to pre heat at 350F / 180C.
Add 3 tablespoons flour to the dry fruits and nuts and dredge completely to coat it.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

This is so that they don’t sink to the bottom of the batter while baking. Set aside.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Mix the remaining flour with baking powder, spices, and salt until well combined.

Kerala plum cake, Christmas fruit cake recipe step by stepPin

Mix till no streaks of spice powder can be seen.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Beat the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until soft – about 5-6 mins by hand, 2 mins with an electric beater.

Kerala plum cake, Christmas fruit cake recipe step by stepPin
Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Add vanilla and mix until combined.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Next, add 1 egg and beat well until incorporated.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Then add 1/3 of the flour mixture and fold gently.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Likewise, alternate between the eggs and flour mixture until they are both used up.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Add the cooled sugar syrup.. (You can see the consistency of the sugar caramel syrup here)

Kerala plum cake, Christmas fruit cake recipe step by stepPin

.. and dredged fruits and gently fold everything in together.

Kerala plum cake, Christmas fruit cake recipe step by stepPin

The batter is ready!

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Grease a 6″ cake pan generously with butter.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Pour batter into the cake pan and smooth the top gently if uneven.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Bake for 50-55 mins until the top turns a dark brown and when a skewer inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

You can start checking from 45 minutes in case your oven bakes the cake faster. The top may look like it is overdone but don’t worry about that, it’s just the sugar syrup giving the cake crumb a darker colour. Make sure the inside is also completely cooked before you take the cake out of the oven.

Kerala plum cake Christmas fruit cake recipePin

Let the fruit cake cool completely before cutting otherwise it will crumble.

Typically, Kerala plum cake or our Christmas fruit cakes are not frosted so just dust the the cake with icing sugar or powdered sugar when the cake is completely cooled and store in airtight containers in room temperature for up to three days, or refrigerate for up to two weeks.

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By nags Filed Under: Cake Recipes, Christmas Recipes, Kerala Recipes, Most Popular

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Comments

  1. Liz

    May 29, 2023 at 9:50 pm

    5 stars
    If we use wax paper inside the pan, do we have to grease the inside or outside of that paper? Or no need because it’s wax?

    Reply
    • nags

      June 15, 2023 at 10:40 am

      i usually do, makes it easier to remove the paper after baking 🙂

      Reply
  2. Novice

    December 26, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    5 stars
    I am not much of a baking enthusiast. But I do love a plum cake. Followed this one and it turned out pretty well. I would like the top to be a little less thick, but other than that am having my cake and wide has given a thumb up too. Thanks Naga

    Reply
    • nags

      December 27, 2022 at 9:02 am

      so glad it came out well for you 🙂

      Reply
  3. Tharunya

    December 20, 2022 at 6:47 pm

    5 stars
    Hello Nags,
    Until I saw this recipe, plum cake seemed so daunting! Came out simply superb. Thank you so much! Parents, children everyone loved it. Thank you for this super easy recipe.

    Reply
    • nags

      December 27, 2022 at 9:03 am

      Thank you Tharunya. Do leave a rating next time if you loved my recipes 🙂

      Reply
  4. Payal Thakur

    April 11, 2021 at 8:01 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for this fabulous recipe

    Reply
    • Linda

      January 7, 2023 at 12:43 am

      5 stars
      Hello there! I am a 14 year old and I made my first cake following this recipe. My family absolutely adored it and even took some to work to share with their colleagues and friends. The cake turned out wonderfully, it rose at the proper time and there was neither toom uch nor too little of something. I am really thankful for the recipe

      Reply
      • nags

        January 11, 2023 at 12:21 pm

        I am so proud and impressed. Thank you for leaving a note Linda. Here’s to more and more baking and learning 🙂

        Reply
  5. Rejeni Philip

    April 9, 2021 at 8:44 pm

    5 stars
    I have made this every week since Dec 2019. I have made some tweaks but the original recipe is fantastic. We live away from home and this cake takes us to Kerala with every bite. I have tried many recipes before this but this is the closest one to my mother’s own recipe that has been a hit for the past 45 years! I grew up helping her make this and now my kids do the same. Thank you so much Nags. I love everything about this post.

    Reply
    • nags

      April 30, 2021 at 1:11 pm

      thank you so much for the kind words

      Reply
  6. Anu

    January 20, 2021 at 11:28 am

    5 stars
    Can you let me know how to use orange peel? Never used till now.
    And also what should be the ratio and bake time for 9″ tray?

    Reply
    • nags

      January 21, 2021 at 4:57 pm

      I buy dried orange peel and just add it with the dry fruits, chopped fine. For using 9″ tray you can increase the ingredients quantity to 1.5x. Baking time will depend – just test with a skewer to make sure it’s not coming out with we batter

      Reply
  7. Nisha Tayade

    December 26, 2020 at 12:10 am

    5 stars
    Tried the fruit cake turned out perfect. Thanks for the detailed recipe.????

    Reply
    • nags

      January 21, 2021 at 5:01 pm

      Thank you Nisha!

      Reply
  8. VIvek

    December 25, 2020 at 9:22 am

    5 stars
    Hello,
    Super easy recipe ! Loved it !
    But the insides of my cake did not turn brown.
    It was a light yellow !!
    Any idea why ?
    Thank you !!

    Reply
    • nags

      January 21, 2021 at 5:01 pm

      My guess would be that the caramel wasn’t dark enough? Or the dates were not darker?

      Reply
  9. Divya

    December 25, 2020 at 6:53 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe! I don’t bake usually and this was my first from the scratch cake trial. I did try plum cake from some other recipe site and it was a flop ???? so I was a bit uncertain about baking at all. But I did soak dry fruits in spiced rum so I was left with no other option! But am I so glad I tried this!! Can’t thank you enough!!! You are a life saver????❤️

    Reply
    • nags

      January 21, 2021 at 5:01 pm

      So happy to hear that Divya!

      Reply
      • Suja

        May 30, 2021 at 1:39 pm

        5 stars
        Stunning recipe. I tried plum cake recipe for the first time and it was yummy. My husband and I loved it. In fact he was telling me it’s better than one of the best bakery ones we get here :-).
        Thank you so much for sharing this amazing, simple recipe.
        In fact I went by the comments on this website when searching for Kerala plum cake.

        Reply
        • nags

          July 20, 2021 at 9:26 pm

          thank you so much! so glad you liked the plum cake recipe 🙂

          Reply
    • Sharon

      December 18, 2022 at 6:49 pm

      Can I make this cake in a pressure cooker?

      Reply
      • nags

        December 27, 2022 at 9:03 am

        yes you can definitely do that, baking time may need to be adjusted.

        Reply
  10. Anuradha Sridharan

    December 24, 2020 at 11:30 am

    5 stars
    Hi…:) Hope you’re doing good.. I’m a beginner in baking and I so wanted to try a plum cake. When I googled for recipies, I found yours and just followed the recipe. I tweaked the recipe a bit by heating orange juice and I let the dry fruits cook in it.. Everything else was what you had written. I must say, the cake was delishhhhh! I could really get that plum cake feel.. While it could have been a bit more flavourful, I really really liked it. It was soooo goooood.. And super glad my sugar syrup also turned out to be in the right consistency..
    Thank you so much for this amazing recipe..????

    Reply
    • nags

      January 21, 2021 at 5:02 pm

      Thank you so much! Do leave a 5* review next time 🙂

      Reply
      • Revathy

        December 22, 2022 at 5:35 am

        5 stars
        Hi … That sounds tempting and yummy .. Can we replace butter with oil?

        Reply
        • nags

          December 27, 2022 at 9:03 am

          for this recipe, no. follow it exactly if you’d like good results 🙂

          Reply
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Hello!

I am Nags, the face behind Edible Garden, a food and recipes website for the busy (and sometimes lazy!) cook since 2007. My recipes are meant to be quick yet healthy and delicious - Nothing fancy, nothing too difficult. Follow Me On Instagram for real-time food and life updates.

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