Chocolate Fruit Cake / Chocolate Christmas Cake

As Christmas is around the corner  I am here, with the Chocolate Fruit Cake recipe to celebrate this occasion, perfect alternative for traditional fruit cake/ plum cake.

This cake doesn't require prior soaking of dry fruits and  a perfect treat for chocolate lovers.

The combination of dry fruits, mixed spices and chocolates gives a nice, rich taste and giving moist texture to the dense cake.

Try and enjoy this yummy cake with your family and friends.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour -2 cups
Dark brown sugar – 1½ cups
Butter -1 cup
Eggs - 3
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Salt - ½ tsp
Cocoa Powder - 3 tbsp
Dark Chocolate - 100 g
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Mixed Spice - 1 tsp
Mixed dried and Candied Fruits - 2 to 2½ cups (Sultanas, Tuitti Fruitti, Raisins, Glazed cherries(chopped), Dates(pitted and chopped)) 
Mixed nuts – ¾ to 1 cup (chopped) ( cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios or walnuts)
Orange -1 (Grate the rind from one whole orange and juice from ½ of the orange and keep aside)
Lemon -1(Grate the rind and keep aside)
Rum or Brandy - ½ cup (optional)

For spice mix:
Cinnamon – 1 medium stick
Cloves- 10 pieces
Dry ginger – 2 small pieces

Directions:

Pre - preparations:

Preheat the oven to 160 deg C.

Mix all purpose flour, spice powder, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt; keep aside.

Take a bowl and  add the dried and candied fruits, nuts, orange and lemon rind, orange juice, brandy, vanilla essence.  Keep side. 

Put the butter, sugar, chocolate into a pan.  Heat in a low flame, stirring occasionally until butter and chocolate has melted.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Cake Batter Preparation:

Take a wide bowl, transfer the chocolate mixture and add in eggs; beat well.

Fold in the flour and fruit mixture into the chocolate mixture ; mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.

Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan, and bake at 160 deg. C for 30 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Once done, remove the cake from the oven and and allow it cool.

 You can also dust it with icing sugar once the cake is cooled completely.  Slice and serve.

Note:

Feel free to substitute any of your favorite nuts and dry fruits.

Instead of brown sugar, you can use white sugar.

Bring all the ingredients to room temperature before you start preparing the cake.

If you don't have spice mix, addition of cinnamon powder itself will give a nice taste.