This eggless plum cake recipe is easy to put together and you don’t need to wait for days soaking the dry fruit. So, even if you forgot to soak the fruit, you can still make this moist and scrumptious vegan Christmas cake.
About the recipe
Baking during the holidays is one of my favorite activity. Be it cookies, cakes or breads. In my baking experience, I have made many fruit cakes that were dense and not very appealing. From that experience, I can definitely say that this eggless plum cake recipe is one of the BEST. This vegan fruit cake is one of my family favorite. It is easy to put together. Recipe needs the dried fruit and nuts to be soaked in orange juice and/ or rum for at least 12 hours. So, it is OK if you forget to soak the fruit, you can still make this in time for Christmas. Marinating in the fruit juice or alcohol adds a beautiful holiday flavor to the cake. So, the longer you can marinate the better. Don’t worry about the booze in the cake, it cooks off while baking. The result is a soft, fluffy, not too sweet and delicious plum cake that is packed with dried fruit and lots of amazing flavor. This is the perfect Christmas baked goodie to give out as edible gift to friends and family. Make this amazing vegan fruitcake and I am sure you will be making it again next year. Here are the ingredients you need to make eggless plum cake recipe:
Dried fruit and nuts - and lots of them. Recipe calls for 2½~3 cups total. So, feel free to use whatever you like or have in your pantry. Here are a few I love to use in my recipe: dried cherries, cranberries, dates, berries, raisins (black or golden), apricots (chopped) etc. almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans etc. Orange juice or apple juice. Alcohol, optional - run, brandy or sherry. Dry ingredients - flour (all purpose & whole wheat*), baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar*. Spices - ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves Wet ingredients - non-dairy milk*, apple cider vinegar*, vanilla extract, oil*,
Instructions
For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below. Here is how to make this delicious vegan plum cake recipe: Start by soaking the dry fruit and nuts in orange juice and/ or rum for at least 12 hours. Check the tips section on more details. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans or 3~4 mini loaf pans or 1 8-inch round pan. Lightly grease the pan with cooking spray. In a measuring jar, combine milk and vinegar and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Next add baking soda and vanilla extract. In a medium size bowl, sift flours, baking powder, salt and all the spices. Mix until combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar and oil. Using a whisk beat the mixture until very smooth, about 4~5 minutes. Add the orange zest and the milk mixture. Mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until combined and no dry flour remains. Stir in the soaked dry fruit mixture along with any of the leftover marinade. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 35-50 minutes (check the Tips section for baking times for different baking pans) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes before removing the cake onto a wire rack. Cool the cake completely before slicing.
Tips
Use any combination of dried fruit and nuts. Make sure that the total amounts to 2½~3 cups. Here are a few fruit and nuts that I love using in my cake: dried cherries, cranberries, dates, berries, raisins (black or golden), apricots (chopped), dried strawberries (the juicy dried ones, not freeze dried) etc. almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans etc. Minimum marinating time is 12 hours, but you can marinate them longer too. Here are few guidelines to help you: If using only alcohol, then you can soak them for up to 3 months in advance. But if are using making non-alcoholic and using just fruit juice, then marinate them for about 5~7 days in advance. Also make sure to refrigerate the container. You can use rum (either white or spiced would work), brandy or sherry. The alcohol usually cooks off while baking, so don’t worry about feeding it to kids. But you can completely avoid alcohol to make this is a no-alcohol fruit cake. In which case, use double (or 1 cup) of fruit juice. On the other hand, if you want a boozy cake, then just use 1 cup of alcohol for soaking. But to get the best flavor of both fruit and booze, use a 50:50 combination of fruit juice and alcohol. Almond, oat and soy milk are great to use here. White wine or red wine are good substitutes for apple cider vinegar. If you are not vegan, substitute oil with melted butter. This adds more flavor, but the cake will dry up faster and will not keep well for too long. I used both all purpose and whole wheat flour. But you can omit the whole wheat flour and make it entirely with APF. Baking times vary with the size of the baking pan used: (1) 8" round cake pan - 45~55 minutes (1) 9" round cake pan - 35~45 minutes (2) 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan - 40~50 minutes (3~4) mini loaf pans - 30~35 minutes Baked cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. Make sure to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap.
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Here are a few more delicious sweet treats that you might like to try: I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don’t forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.
Recipe Card
