Eggless Rum-less Dry-Fruit Cake

I don't know where to start with this cake..I am not so much a sugary person, an occasional slice of cake is more than enough for more. Even when I bake, I normally don't eat more than one small piece..just that I can't take in so much sweetness. But this particular cake broke all norms!! I was addicted to this one. It had such an earthy overtone, majorly from the use of muscavado (very similar to our jaggery) sugar in it. 

So I am not sure how many of you will like it. It was much sweeter compared to other cakes, and much more dense, li'l chewy and full of deep flavours. More than half of it was consumed by me, and the other half by hubby. Got the recipe from here. I am sure to make it again, just that I will need reduce few inches before I make it again.

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 1.5 cups

Baking powder - 2 tsp

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Vegetable oil - 150 ml

Water - 200ml

Dates (pitted and chopped) - 100 g

Raisins - 100g (Original recipe called for 150g, but I found it slightly overpowering)

Cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts (broken) - 100g

Jaggery or Dark muscavado sugar - 150g

Sugar - 150g

Fruit jam - 3 tbsp (if possible use sugarless jam, as this makes the batter very sweet

Spice powder - 2 tsp

Grated rind of 1 lime (I omitted this)

Method:

1. Grease and line the bottom of an 8” square or 9” round cake tin with greaseproof paper/baking parchment/butter paper. 

2. In a mixing bowl, assemble the flour, baking powder and baking soda, mix with a spoon and sieve once to make the mixture uniform. 

3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the fruits and nuts. Stir in the jaggery, sugar, jam and 100 ml water. Heat on a low flame until the sugar and jaggery melt, stirring all the while. Don’t overcook the mixture. 

4. Allow to cool and add the reamaining 100 ml water, rind and spice powder. 

5. Mix in the sifted flour mixture and beat with a spoon or a wire whisk until there are no lumps. 

6. Transfer the contents to the greased and lined tin and bake in a preheated oven at 150 degree centigrade for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.