Traditional East Indian Rich Fruit cake- Eggless

Soaking mixture:

• 200g candied orange peels
• 200g candied sweet lime peels
• 200g candied papaya peels
• 200g candied ginger
• 200g raisins, stems removed and halved
• 200g black raisins stems removed and halved
• Old monk rum / orange juice enough for soaking. Cut everything finely and pour rum or orange juice over it and leave it soaked for a few days. With rum you can soak for a year in the fridge. With orange juice maximum 2-3 days Rich fruit cake

• 400g above peels drained
• 150g broken cashew
• 50g dates deseeded and chopped
• 1.5 cups salted butter
• 1 cup condensed milk
• 1/4th cup molasses/ kakvi
• 2 cups maida / all purpose flour
• 3 tsp spice mix
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄4 tsp baking soda
• Water as needed Line an 8” baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 170°C for 15 minutes. Sieve the dry ingredients first. Set aside. Take some of the dry flour mixture and mix into the peels mixture so that it gets coated with the flour. Cream the butter and condensed milk together for a few seconds. Add the molasses and cream together again for a few seconds. Now add the dry mixture and the peels mixture, cashews and dates to the creamed butter, condensed milk and molasses. Gently fold together. Add water or milk as necessary to make a thick batter.

Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake for approximately 1.5 hours to 1. Hour 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely in the tin itself and then unmould.

Pro tips:

• For extra boozy flavor, poke holes into the baked cake when it comes right out of the oven and pour 30 ml of rum onto the cake
• You can use any assortment of fruit you like as long as the proportion is maintained.
• Instead of molasses you can use caramel syrup. Recipe given below.
• For added dark brown color you can add caramel color to the mixture.
• This cake tastes best when it has been allowed to mature overnight Spice mixture:

• 3 tbsp dry ginger powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 8 cloves
• 1⁄2 nutmeg Put all the spices together in a blender and powder them together. Caramel syrup

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup jaggery
• 1⁄2 cup water Boil the water and set aside. Heat the sugar and jaggery in a saucepan till you see them just turning dark brown. Once it starts changing color take it off the heat. Now add the boiled water to the mixture carefully. Place it all back on heat. Heat till the mixture gets a thick honey like consistency. Allow it to cool completely and now it is ready to use.