Is there a stringent rule that says fruit cakes should be had only during Christmas? None that I know of. When your kids are pestering you, even as early as June, for those delicious cakes that are available during Christmas season, you need not break their hearts. As part of our healthy baking series, this week we substitute the sugar powder with jaggery and maida with wheat. I can assure you that there will be no compromise on taste and you will be drooling for more.

The tradition of the cake-mixing ceremony dates back to earlier centuries where dry fruits along with the spices were soaked in rum or wine to give a unique flavour to fruit cakes. The  dry fruits used are raisins, sultanas, glazed cherries, candied ginger, almonds, cashews, dates, pistachios and candied papaya, which are mixed and soaked in rum, brandy or red wine.

In this recipe, I have made a fruit cake using wheat and palm jaggery. Palm jaggery is loaded with phytonutrients and minerals like iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Unlike the refined white sugar, palm jaggery is unrefined and does not undergo the process of crystallisation. There is a myth that palm jaggery is good for diabetic people but the truth is it has as many calories and contains sucrose like white sugar. If you are trying the non-alcoholic version of this cake, you can use apple juice, grape juice or orange juice for soaking.

Wheat Palm Jaggery Plum Cake

Ingredients

• Butter: 150 gms
• Powdered palm jaggery: 150 gms
• Eggs: 4
• Vanilla essence: 1 teaspoon
• Whole wheat flour: 150 gms
• Cocoa powder: 1 tablespoon
• Mixed spices: ¼ teaspoon
• Salt: a pinch
• Caramel: 2 tablespoon
• Dry fruits (rum-soaked): ¾ cup
• Orange juice: 2 tablespoon
• Baking powder: ½ teaspoon
• Baking soda: ¼ teaspoon

Method

Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 1850 c.

1. Cream the butter till soft and shiny.
2. Add powdered palm jaggery to the butter and beat it thoroughly till no lumps remain.
3. Add whisked eggs to the mixture little by little in order to avoid curdling.
4. Sieve the dry ingredients — flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, mixed spices powder, cocoa powder — and cut and fold the mixture.
5. Add caramel, orange juice and dry fruits to the batter and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter to baking moulds and bake it at 1850 C for 50 minutes.

 (The writer  is a food enthusiast and a food blogger @kitchensizzler.com)