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December 8, 2020 Recipes

Eggless Christmas Plum Cake – No Rum!

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‘Tis is the season of cheer, love and of course, a lot of desserts! It is my favorite time of the year when life is all about merry baking some gorgeous desserts in the kitchen and sipping on cups of hot chocolate sitting beside a beautiful Christmas tree. This year, I want to share all my cheer with you and hence, I have planned some lovely recipes for you guys to try out.

This holiday season is different than every other because we’ll be staying at home celebrating with our family and close friends. So why not make it a little more special by baking with and for your loved ones? And you know what! Nothing says Christmas better than a good ol’ Plum Cake! So let’s make an eggless plum cake that is made with the warmest of spices, is rich and absolutely delicious!

eggless plum cake

What is a traditional Plum Cake?

Plum Cake refers to a wide range of cakes made with either dried fruit (such as currants, raisins or prunes) or with fresh fruit. There is a wide range of popular plum cakes and puddings. In India, plum cake has been served around the time of the Christmas holiday season, and may have additional ingredients such as rum or brandy added.

In the last two centuries since it first travelled out of England, the plum cake has reached every corner of the world. Every country, region and family has a different version of the recipe. Some are made with nuts soaked in rum, some are fed with sherry or brandy for weeks after being baked, and some have no alcohol at all.

Ingredients for Eggless Plum Cake

  • For the soak

Traditionally, dry fruits are soaked in rum/brandy for months or even years before using them for baking a Christmas Plum Cake. But let’s be honest, not everybody remembers to do this and if this sounds like you, then you’re at the right place. For this eggless plum cake, I don’t use alcohol and use a very quick, cheat method of cooking my dry fruits with orange juice, lemon juice and some water. What this does is make the dry fruits extremely flavorful for the cake. I use tutti frutti, raisins, dried apricots, dried cranberries and prunes for this plum cake. But you can use any dry fruits you have in your kitchen!

  • For the cake

Moreover, I make this plum cake eggless and use yogurt to make a moist, soft cake. I recommend using Yogurt as a substitute to eggs. It gives the cake a very similar texture and makes it fluffy and light. I also use brown sugar in the cake batter to give it a better depth of flavor and beautiful deep color.

Wondering about more egg substitutes? I have written an entire blog post dedicated to that and I know it will give you a better understanding of the entire thing!

eggless plum cake

Winter spices for Eggless Plum Cake

The best part of winter baking is the sweet fragrance and warming touch of winter spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and so on! For this eggless plum cake, I use powdered cinnamon, clove and ginger. Freshly grounded powder works perfectly fine for this recipe and I would not recommend using whole spices as they would ruin the lovely mouth-feel of the dessert and all you’ll be able to taste are the spices! What we want is a subtle flavor of these spices running throughout the cake.

Process of Eggless Plum Cake

Since I didn’t pre-soak my fruits in liquid this year, I show you a quick cheat version of soaking your dry fruits! What I do is, I simply take orange juice, lemon juice, and water along with my dry fruits and cook them over low heat till the fruits absorb the liquids and become nice and plump. This takes literally minutes and makes your dry fruits as juicy as pre-soaked!

The key process in the making of this plum cake is the time this cake spends in the oven. We cook this cake slowly at a lower temperature so that it becomes really flavorful and the texture comes out just right. A normal cake is cooked for 30 to 40 minutes while this cake is cooked for 50-55 minutes at 160 degrees temperature.

It’s also rather important to prepare the cake batter well. It’s really easy- just make sure to cream the sugar and oil well before adding the yogurt and the rest of the ingredients. This makes sure that the cake comes out moist and fluffy rather than dense and oily. Make sure you chop the almonds, cashews, and walnuts before folding them in the batter.

eggless plum cake

Can I make this cake in the microwave?

This has to be the most asked question on all my social media platforms. Can we bake the recipe in a microwave? And the answer is YES! I am so glad that I am creating a recipe that can be made both in an oven and a microwave so everyone can bake and rejoice with this beautiful eggless plum cake.

If your microwave has a convection mode, you can also bake this cake in it!  To bake these cake in the microwave, preheat until 160 degrees celsius. Place the cake pan on your tray, and allow it to bake for 30-40 minutes only. Again, microwaves differ, so keep a sharp eye out for the golden edges.

This cake can also be made in a cooker or kadhai, the options are endless. Basically, I just want you to make this recipe and share the joy it brings to you!

eggless plum cake

Eggless Plum Cake recipe

4.8 from 13 reviews
Eggless Christmas Plum Cake - No Rum!
 
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Ingredients
For the cake
  • 1 + ½ cup maida
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon clove
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For soak
  • ⅓ cup orange juice
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup tutti frutti
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup dried apricots
  • ⅛ cup dried cranberries
  • ⅛ cup prunes
For folding
  • ¼ cup almonds
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • ¼ cup cashews
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan, take orange juice, lemon juice and water.
  2. Add tutti frutti, raisins, dried apricots, dried cranberries and prunes to the juice mix and cook till the mixture thickens and the dry fruits absorb all the juices. Set aside.
  3. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degree C and line an 8 inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
  4. In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, the spices and orange zest and set aside.
  5. Whisk together brown sugar and oil in a separate bowl until pale and well combined.
  6. Now add the yogurt to the oil and sugar mixture and mix well.
  7. Add the vanilla extract.
  8. Gently fold in the dry ingredients and mix until everything is well combined and there are no large flour pockets in the batter. Do not over mix at this stage.
  9. Keep a small portion of the soaked dry fruits aside and fold in the rest along with the chopped walnuts, almonds and cashews in the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
  10. Bake at 160C for 50-55 minutes or only until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  11. Top the cake with the leftover soaked fruits and serve!
3.5.3251

If you happen to make this delicious eggless plum cake, do tag me on Instagram and use #BakewithShivesh. I’d love to see your creations. Happy Holidays!

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Categories: Recipes Tags: Bake With Shivesh, bakewithshivesh eggless, Baking, eggless, eggless baking, eggless cake, shivesh bhatia

Previous Post: « Eggless butterscotch pudding
Next Post: Christmas Rum Balls »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Suja says

    December 9, 2020 at 11:42 am

    Awesome fruit cake. Yummy to see. Can maida be replaced by wheat atta

    Reply
  2. Shubhda says

    December 9, 2020 at 1:32 pm

    Can we used canned orange juice or tetra pack or does it need to be fresh juice?

    Will it make the soaked fruits too sweet?

    Reply
  3. Dee Kal says

    December 9, 2020 at 6:06 pm

    Can I use whole wheat flour or oats flour instead of maida? If yes, what else do I need to change in this recipe.

    Reply
  4. jas says

    December 10, 2020 at 10:39 am

    hello. I am definitely want to try this plum cake recipe of urs. I just want to know what cup size do u use so that I don’t make any mistake while baking

    Reply
  5. Gayathri Vishagan says

    December 10, 2020 at 10:43 am

    Hi bro,
    Iam a great fan of U, I used to watch all your cake recipes. I have one doubt what is the measurement of your cup ?? Is 200 ml or 250 ml ?
    Can u please mention the ingredients in grams ??

    Reply
  6. Anannya Bohidar says

    December 11, 2020 at 12:39 am

    Dear Shivesh,

    Thank you for making this video. I want to try this recipe this season and was wondering if I can use whole wheat flour (Atta) instead of All-purpose flour (maida)? I will be grateful if you could let me know. Thank you.

    Best regards,
    Anannya

    Reply
  7. Puneet says

    December 11, 2020 at 8:26 am

    Please once clear the ratio of juice+ water mixture to the soaking dried fruits and all in grams if possible

    Reply
  8. Nithya says

    December 13, 2020 at 5:27 am

    Hi I tried ur plumcake. It taste delicious. I am going to try ur chocolate cake for my son birthday. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

    Reply
  9. Carol says

    December 13, 2020 at 9:53 am

    Hi Shivesh,

    Would it be ok If I substituted eggs instead of yogurt? how many eggs would I need?

    Reply
  10. Nishuji Jain says

    December 14, 2020 at 4:04 am

    when did u put ginger cinnamon and clove. also how did u use it ? owder or whole ?

    Reply
  11. Sudeepa says

    December 14, 2020 at 10:15 am

    Hi, I’ve made this Christmas cake.It turned out a very delicious one and soft .Thanks for such a detailed recipe.

    Reply
  12. gur says

    December 14, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    hey shivesh, thanks you for this recipe <3
    i wanted to ask if i can use whisky for soaking the fruits instead of orange juice? and can i soak them a week earlier? thank you, lots of love from UK xx

    Reply
  13. Mona Choudhuri says

    December 15, 2020 at 5:13 am

    What are the instructions for baking this EGGLESS PLUM CAKE in a simple microwave, without convection? thanks a lot, Mona

    Reply
  14. Athena says

    December 15, 2020 at 7:45 am

    Hello Shivesh 🙂

    I’m a big fan of your channel cause your recipes are top notch and the way you present your recipes is very pleasing to watch. Just wondering if we can use stevia + molasses (for the colour) instead of brown sugar and use greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt. Tryna keep it healthy this festive season.

    Reply
  15. Anita says

    December 15, 2020 at 9:20 am

    shivesh i’ve fallen in love with this plum cake and am craving it – do u ship it anywhere- seriously it looks like perfection.

    Reply
  16. Vybhavi says

    December 15, 2020 at 11:09 am

    Wt is ur cup measurement,1cup=250ml?

    Reply
  17. Nidhi Gupta says

    December 16, 2020 at 1:04 am

    Hello Shivesh, I want to try this cake but I have a few doubts. Should we use tetra packed orange juice or fresh orange juice? Can I soak my dried fruits in it 3-4 days ago and then bring it to a boil? Or just boil only?

    Reply
  18. Kajal says

    December 16, 2020 at 11:14 am

    It’s really delicious and super easy, thanks for sharing

    Reply
  19. Chandrika says

    December 16, 2020 at 11:32 am

    Hi Shivesh,
    In this recipe, instead of a 1/3 cup water can I use orange juice on the whole? Well in that case, how much of orange juice can I use to cook those delicious dried fruits?

    Thanking you in anticipation.
    Merry Christmas.

    Reply
  20. NITYA Gupta says

    December 17, 2020 at 3:50 am

    I want to bake this plum cake in christmas tree paper moulds. They are in 17cm diameter and 3.5cm in depth each.
    If I put 2 of these in my oven, then how long should I bake. Will it still take 55 min?
    Can you pls help me with this?

    Reply
  21. Neetu says

    December 17, 2020 at 6:36 am

    Hi, Shivesh! How long can this cake be stored at room temperature? I’m worried about using yoghurt. will it make the cake spoil sooner?

    Reply
  22. BUNNY SADHNANI says

    December 19, 2020 at 9:23 am

    Please mention the ingredients in grams also as I have observed that you use different sizes of cups for different ingredients.

    Reply
  23. Anjali says

    December 19, 2020 at 10:59 am

    Hi shivesh,
    I have tried one of ur recipe and it was awesome…done that for two occasions
    For this plum cake

    1)Can I used ghee instead of oil

    2) can I use whole wheat instead of maida

    Reply
  24. Srunika K says

    December 20, 2020 at 6:28 am

    Hey Shivesh!

    I tried this and it came out so well! The cake disappeared in an hour’s time. I substituted the oil with melted butter. Thanks for a great recipe. This one’s a keeper.

    Reply
    • Nithya says

      December 22, 2021 at 5:39 pm

      Could you be kind enough to tell the cup measurement you have used for the flour in this cake?

      Reply
  25. Madhulina Sharma says

    December 23, 2020 at 5:23 am

    Cake looks amazing. In case if I make with eggs…how many should I use?

    Reply
  26. Rachana S says

    December 24, 2020 at 8:00 am

    Hey can I reduce the quantity of ingredients to half and bake a 6″ cake?

    Reply
  27. Ira says

    December 24, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    Hi can I use a berry flavoured yogurt in this recipe?

    Reply
  28. Shilpa says

    December 26, 2020 at 12:50 pm

    Baked this cake for Christmas party & was super hit! Made slight modification and added cocoa powder. Cake was delicious! Thank you for the recipe would definitely recommend ?

    Reply
  29. Anindita Malhotra says

    December 30, 2020 at 9:43 am

    Hi Shivesh.. Can u please share the plum cake recipe with eggs?

    Reply
  30. Purba says

    December 30, 2020 at 9:49 am

    Tried this perfect recipe with rum, was such a hit!

    Reply
  31. Varsha says

    December 30, 2020 at 6:50 pm

    Can we use whole wheat flour in place of multipurpose flour, wanted it to bake for kids

    Reply
  32. Uma Ambike says

    January 4, 2021 at 8:36 pm

    Hi Shivesh, I tried your recipe for the first time(but not the last for sure) and this cake was a hit! I baked it twice in a matter of 3 days! It was so good, that it got eaten up in a day!

    Reply
  33. Thanya says

    January 7, 2021 at 9:16 am

    Thank you for the recipe ? What can I substitute for Maida?

    Reply
    • Uday says

      January 29, 2021 at 4:57 pm

      Shivesh, can you kindly advise a recipe replacing AP flour with GF flour as well as the other ingredient modifications if one wants to reduce the sugar content by half?

      Reply
  34. Ms. J Sanjay says

    January 18, 2021 at 6:01 pm

    Your recipe worked…..thx.Have a question……is it always advisable to bake cakes @ 160 degrees?

    Reply
  35. D shah says

    April 24, 2021 at 4:45 pm

    Hi shivesh ..
    Thank you soo much for the amazing recipes..
    I am a pure jain and follow ayurveda..
    Plum cake has curds..
    Would like to avoid curds n milk in cakes..
    Any other substitutes..
    Thank you

    Reply
  36. kamala kannan gunalan says

    April 25, 2021 at 2:56 pm

    If I use melted butter instead of vegetable oil in your recepies will it cause any problem.Because if I use oil the cake turns out very moist and very oily but if I use butter the cake turns out well.

    Reply
  37. Ritika says

    June 2, 2021 at 1:38 pm

    Hi Shivesh, what Would be the measurements of this eggless dry fruit cake If I have to bake in 6 inch cake tin? As you have mentioned for a 8 inch cake tin.. thanks

    Reply
  38. Ritika says

    June 2, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    Hi Shivesh, could you pl tell me by how much should I scale down the measurements for a 6 inch cake tin? Thanks

    Reply
  39. Tatiana Taylor says

    December 21, 2021 at 12:29 pm

    I made two of these last year. We eat one last year and I froze the other for this year. We just had our first slice and every bit as moist and fantastic as last year. This is an amazing recipe.

    Reply
  40. Madhavi says

    December 28, 2021 at 10:42 pm

    Hi. Can I substitute maids with whole wheat for the same recipe?

    Reply

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Hello. I'm Shivesh Bhatia, a food blogger, author and food stylist from Delhi, India. Welcome to Bake With Shivesh, where I'll help you create magic in your kitchens with my simple recipes. Read More

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