Chocolate Fruit Cake Recipe made without oven in a kadai or pan. You can easily bake a moist and fruit cake without oven. Also don't miss to check my eggless plum cake.
Chocolate Fruit Cake Recipe
Ultimate chocolate fruit cake recipe. This is one of the best fruit cake recipe you can ever imagine and so simple to make. The only thing it takes couple of hours to bake and it is worth every second.
About Chocolate Fruit Cake Recipe
Fruit cakes are a popular cakes baked during christmas season. The cake is filled with juicy dried fruits and nuts. Fruit Cake which is rich and moist.
You could add any dry fruits in it as per your liking. The list of dry fruits are pretty endless, you could add dried prunes, cherries, currants, candied lemon peel, candied orange peel and many more.
In this recipe we are adding some cocoa powder to make it chocolate fruit cake.
In this post I have shared recipe for making this chocolate fruit cake in a pan or a kadai if you don't have oven.
I baked it yesterday and believe it or not everything got over right now. I took a few pieces (which I saved it from my sisters) to office and everyone loved it. They told me that it is so much better than the store bought one. I love plum cakes a lot than any other cakes, but some bakery here supply this with dry little fruits in it and the cake itself looks so dry. But there is one bakery here which supply a awesome cake which has a lovely flavor of fruits in it. And this one came better than that too. Which is pretty amazing.
How to Make Chocolate Fruit Cake without Oven
- Take raisins, dates, prunes, orange zest, orange juice, cocoa powder, butter, brown sugar, honey, water in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 mins.
- Cool it down for 30 mins.
- Add in egg and mix well.
- Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and mix well.
- Spoon this in a parchment lined baking pan.
- Heat a heavy bottom kadai covered for 10 mins.
- Now place a separator in the bottom and place cake pan. Cover and cook for 40 to 45 mins till cake is cooked.
- Remove and cool completely
- Un mould and serve.
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📖 Recipe

Chocolate Fruit Cake Recipe (without oven)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Black Seedless Raisins
- ½ cup Dates chopped
- ½ cup Prunes chopped
- 100 grams Unsalted Butter
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Honey
- 1 tsp[ Orange Zest
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- ½ cup Water
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour | Maida
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
Instructions
How to Make Chocolate Fruit Cake (without oven)
- Take raisins, dates, prunes, orange zest, orange juice, cocoa powder, butter, brown sugar, honey, water in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 mins.
- Cool it down for 30 mins.
- Add in egg and mix well.
- Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and mix well.
- Spoon this in a parchment lined baking pan. I used two 6 inch round cake pans.
- Heat a heavy bottom kadai covered for 10 mins.
- Now place a separator in the bottom and place cake pan. Cover and cook for 40 to 45 mins till cake is cooked.
- Remove and cool completely
- Unmould and serve.
How to Bake Chocolate Fruit Cake
- Preheat oven to 150 degree C
- Butter a deep round tin(8 to 10 inchh) and line the bottom with parchment paper or wax paper. Now line the sides with parchment paper as well in the way that the paper is somewhat extended above the tin which prevents the cake from burning and sticking all over the tin when it rises as it bakes. Butter all over the tin generously and keep it aside.
- Pour the batter into the tin and bake it the oven for 45 mins to 1 hour
- The cake looks little moist and sticky on top but has some moist texture in the middle.
- Remove it from the oven and allow to cool down completely.
- Now remove it from the tin and allow to cool down completely again. Since you have lined it with parchment paper it won’t be hard to remove the cake from tin.
- Decorate it as per your wish and serve or store in a air tight container for 3-4 days.
Video
Notes
- You can increase the amount of fruit if you want.
- If you don't have prunes and dates. Use 2 cups of black raisins.
- Add in seedless black raisins.
- If you are planning to bake it in oven. Bake it in 150 degree c for 40 to 50 mins
- You can increase the amount of fruit if you want.
- If you don't have prunes and dates. Use 2 cups of black raisins.
- Add in seedless black raisins.
- You can add ginger powder, cardamom powder, mix spice powder, nutmeg powder for added flavor.
- Use a heavy bottom pan with fitting lid.
- Use hard anodised pan for best result.
- Don't use nonstick pan. since it is not ideal to heat nonstick empty.
- Use aluminium and indalium pan.
- You can use a pressure cooker for baking. If you are using pressure cooker, dont use whistle or gasket.You can add ginger powder, cardamom powder, mix spice powder, nutmeg powder for added flavor.
How to Feed a Fruit Cake
Fruit cake matures as it sits. You can make fruit cakes a month in advance. But this fruit cake since it is boiled you can make it a week in advance and store in a cool place. You can start feeding the cake 2 to 3 days before serving. Take some rum and brush it all over the cake. Repeat this daily. This is how you feed a fruit cake.Chocolate Fruit Cake Recipe without Oven with Step by Step Pictures
1)Take all your ingredients
2)Take a sauce pan
3)Add in seedless black raisin
4)Add in prunes and dates
5)Add in butter
6)Add in brown sugar
7)Add in honey
8)Add in water
9)Add in cocoa powder
10)Add in orange zest
11)Add in orange juice
12)Place it on heat and cook till it starts to boil
13)Boil this for 4 to 5 mins
16)Cool the mix and add in egg
17)Add in flour
18)add in baking soda and baking powder
19)Add in spice powders
20)Fold gently
21)Spoon the batter into pans lined with parchment paper.
22)Place a separater in the bottom of a heavy bottom kadai and heat the kadai covered for 10 mins
23)Place cake pan in it.
24)Cover and cook
25)Serve
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Feed a Fruit Cake
Fruit cake matures as it sits. You can make fruit cakes a month in advance. But this fruit cake since it is boiled you can make it a week in advance and store in a cool place.
You can start feeding the cake 2 to 3 days before serving. Take some rum and brush it all over the cake. Repeat this daily. This is how you feed a fruit cake.
Soaking Dried Fruits for Fruit Cake
Usually for fruit cakes they soak these dried fruits in brandy or rum for a month, so that the fruits gets all flavors and it plumps up a little. But in this cake since we are boiling the fruits, it gets the plumpness and flavor without any hard work. And the heat gives so much moistness to the cake.
This is Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Fruit Cake Recipe and it was in my mind for more than a year since I watched her show. I waited for the christmas season to arrive to try this recipe and finally I made it. It came out so much better than I expected, frankly I am now crazy about this and want it each and every day.
If you want to make it even more authentic, just use a slash or two of rum that will bring more christmas flavor to the cake.
Pro Tips
- If you are planning to bake it in oven. Bake it in 150 degree c for 40 to 50 mins
- You can increase the amount of fruit if you want.
- If you don't have prunes and dates. Use 2 cups of black raisins.
- Add in seedless black raisins.
- You can add ginger powder, cardamom powder, mix spice powder, nutmeg powder for added flavor.
- Use a heavy bottom pan with fitting lid.
- Use hard anodised pan for best result.
- Don't use nonstick pan. since it is not ideal to heat nonstick empty.
- Use aluminium and indalium pan.
- You can use a pressure cooker for baking. If you are using pressure cooker, dont use whistle or gasket.
Related Recipes
(this post is originally published in 2011 & updated on current date)
Kalpana Sareesh
Will mail u my address pls send it me it involves too too much of work which i can never def find time..so pls send it to me.. if not its a sin for u..i cant wait to dive in it..truly awesome ..no words..
Priya's Feast
Wow..this luks scrumptious...luvly way to make instant christmas cake.. 🙂
Achu
AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE So yummyyyyy....Awaiting to bake it..Can i soak all dried fruits into rum for abt 1 to 2 weeks?Wat abt rum...u didn't add?awaitin to hear it
Aarthi
Kalpana...Ha Ha..find some 3 hours for urself and try it..it is worth a try..You will feel really proud about yourself after you are done with it..trust me..
Aarthi
Aarthi
Achu...You don't need to soak your fruits in rum..since you are boiling the fruits you needn't do it..You can definitely add rum to this..add it along with the butter while you are boiling it..Please try it and let me know the results..
Aarthi
veena krishnakumar
looks very yummy aarti!!!love the pictorial
Manju
That looks divine Aarthi....great work!!
Regards,
Manju
htp://manjuseatingdelights.blogspot.com
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
This cake looks amazing - and it should with all those wonderful ingredients - I think I would eat nothing else at Christmas! Delicious 🙂
Mary x
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
This cake looks amazing - and it should with all those wonderful ingredients - I think I would eat nothing else at Christmas! Delicious 🙂
Mary x
Namitha
Love fruit cake. Today I'll be baking a couple of them for sending to friends 🙂
Neetz
superb superb superb!! mERRU X'MAS TO U DEAR!!!
Chitra
Simply Superb Aarthi...going to try it soon...
Deeksha
super delicious cake. Great job.
Rocio Valle Gonzalez
mmmm it looks simply delicious!! awesome! thanx for sharing!! hugs!! 😉
Uma
OMG, It is really superb and you are great cook.
manu
Sounds yummy!
Shri
Sounds delicious and easy too!
VineelaSiva
The cakes looks awesome dear.Its very inviting.Love the way of explaining.
Hovkonditorn
What a beautiful fruit cake!
RAKS KITCHEN
Sounds super delicious! Yummy cake, wish I be ur neighbor to taste all ur cooking 🙂
SouthIndianHome
just yesterday i watched this video of Nigella Lawson and today here came the post from you.You have made it perfect.I was little skeptical about adding cocoa powder in fruit cake.now since you have already made it and it is delicious I will go ahead and try this
The Pumpkin Farm
wow Aarthi, this feels like christmas, what an amalgamation of flavors. loved every step and picture
Ganga Sreekanth
Looks so beautiful and tempting dear..
Mélange
Awesome Aarthi.The cake has come out perfectly for you.Moist and tempting.
Sharmilee! :)
Looks and sounds delicious
Maayeka
This looks so amazing....beautiful and delicious looking..great recipe!!!
Priya Sreeram
lovely; do check out the giveaway in my blog; cheers
zareena
mmmm... I loved all your snaps. Amazing cake recipe. Loved it a lot. I want it nowwwww 🙁
Anonymous
SUPER!!!!!!!!!!!!Ippavae Kanna Kattuthey.............
Anu
yummy yummy..love your blog..first time here..happy to follow your blog..
Chandrani
Perfect christmas cake, Aarthi....... Lovely description. I bookmarked this....
Anzz
The cake is perfect. Yours is the first Christmas cake in the Blogosphere, I believe. Merry Christmas dear.!
Kaveri
An Awesome bake Aarathi, Looks too good.
chitraj.hegde
Wow...Supper Yummy Looking cake....loved the flavors...must try recipe....perfect for Christmas eve...
Priya
Super rich looking incredible cake, looks super moist and quiet addictive.
Richa
that cake looks so scrumptious and as always love your step by step pictures!
Nalini's Kitchen
super yummy... cake,looks so moist and spongy......perfectly done,luv the texture....
Anonymous
Hi
I would like to suggest something.
Can you have a link for a printer friendly version for your recipes.
I love so many of your recipes and everytime i have to copy paste it and then print it.
Love the pictorial tooo.....pls dont ever stop uploading them
But a link for printer friendly version would be highly appreciated
Thanks
- Rupa
Aarthi
Rupa...I have that option right in the footer of each post..You can see a print friendly option there..Please check it
Aarthi
Anonymous
Hi aarthi i found ur blog last month and now a big fan of it. can u please do a favr to vegetarian like me. please mentiont he subtitute of eggs in ur recipees, as it will help me a lot to try ur recipees. thanks
madhu
Nagalakshmi V
i've always wanted to try this combo. not sure when i will get around to doing it 🙂
Archana
Whew I am tired looking at these awesome pictures. Looks like lots of work and work. Send me the cake dear I will enjoy it.
sangee vijay
Wow...Aarthi great job,this looks so soft n moist fruit cake .,well explained n well presented!!
Thanks for linking this awesome recipe to Bake Fest!!
Vardhini
Gorgeous looking plum cake and thx for linking to the event.
Preethi
Dear Aarthi,
Let me be the first (am I???) to tell you that I tried this cake today and it came out awesoooommmeee!!!..Just followed your instructions and despite a slight burning on the top (did not heed you advise there, I guess), this cake is indeed moist and the orange juice and pulp all add to the flavour.....thanks a ton for this wonderful recipe dear. And yes, I did not use any liquer too!!!
Love
Preethi
Aarthi
@Preethi
Preethi thanks for your comment dear..I glad that you loved it...Thanks again for trying...
Anonymous
@Aarthi
any substitute for eggs?
Anonymous
substitute for egg?
Aarthi
@Anonymoususe egg substitute or i think you can use thick curd...I have never tried it, hope you will give it a try and tell me how it turned out
Nargis
Hey Aarti i wanted to know how many oranges u had used aprox?
Aarthi
@NargisI used 2 oranges
Lincy
I baked this cake last christmas, This year too i want to try this as it was a big hit with my family. Can you please tell the size of your baking pan which you used for this cake? which size will be appropriate? i have a small pan so last year i divided into two batches and made but i felt that the cake didnt rise as much as i would have liked
Anonymous
How much rum can we add to this?
Anonymous
Also, can we use wine? If we use any liquor should we add more sugar to compensate?
Anonymous
Why are we just mixing the egg and not whipping it till fluffy?
Aarthi
@Lincy I used a 16 cm pan i think
Aarthi
@Anonymous 1/4 cup would be fine
Aarthi
@AnonymousNo You dont need to add more sugar
Aarthi
@AnonymousFor this cake we dont need to whip the eggs
hilltopsinger
Please help! Im not able to find baking soda in my place. Is baking soda and cooking soda the same thing?
Aarthi
@hilltopsingeryes they are same
Sapthanaa Vytheswaran
hey tried it Arthi.. came out well. I have an OTG oven. Hence didnt take more than 45 mins to bake this cake 150 degrees.
was little sceptical about adding cocoa to this cake.. you proved me wrong..super easy and delicious.. my bro and 2.5 yr old daughter finished the entire lot.. thanks for this recipe . will post the recipe soon in my site......
http://www.abikitchen.blogspot.com
Sapthanaa
Caroline Ramya
Hi Arthi,
Did try out this cake and it turned to be a disaster. Don't know what went wrong since I sincerely followed all your interactions. The top got burnt and the bottom was not done so had to keep on baking it. The stick method of checking well done did not work out here. Also found the cake to be tooo sweet. Could have reduced the honey or sugar.
Aarthi
@Caroline RamyaI am sorry to hear that. I have mentioned in the comment to cover the cake if it gets too brown half way through. And the sugar level mentioned in this cake is perfect, it will give you a moderately sweet cake. I think may be you must have messed with the measurement. Try it once again and let me know how it turns out.
Anitha Vivi
Hi, can u post how long to bake it wen i bake this in microwave oven?
As i dont have an baking oven.
Also
Wen should i add the rum?
Thanks Anitha
Aarthi
@Anitha ViviFor microwave fruit cake, check this...
https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2013/12/microwave-plum-cake-microwave-fruit.html
Anonymous
Hi Arthi,
Tried this and this came out really awesome, the taste is just phennomenal. Thank you for this recipe.
Also I have a question: When I made this, the texture of the cake was not very knife friendly. In the sense, it was not possible to cut it into shapely pieces and part of it would crumble and the fruits come out. Any thoughts on how I could fix that?
Aarthi
@AnonymousChill the cake for a while and cut it, you will get clean slices. Also use a serated knife to cut the cake/
LoVeLy AsH
If using yogurt instead of eggs.. how much should i take?
Anonymous
Hi Aarthi... Pls tell if the butter you use in your cakes and bakery is the regular Amul butter or some unsalted one?
Aarthi
@AnonymousIt is unsalted butter
Aarthi
@LoVeLy AsHNot sure if eggs can be substituted
Anonymous
Can almond powder be avoided? Not having almonds at home at present!
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can leave almond powder..Or you can use cashew powder instead
Anonymous
This is by far the best recipe i got on net for christmas cake...thanks a ton for sharing it with step by step photos....helped a lot...n yeah ..my cake turned out awesome...i hope i could also have shared a pic as i decorated it well 🙂
Shalini Senthil
Hi Aarthi can i try this in pressure cooker? Last time when i baked normal plum cake(i.e. without boiling fruits &without egg) i got big and lot of cracks at the top and looked hard.. I thought over cooked but later when tasted it actually should have been cooked for some more time. So any tips to avoid crack using pressure cooker? Thanks in advance
Aarthi
@Shalini SenthilIf your cake cracks,u have used small cake pan. DOnt fill cake more than half of the tin.
Shalini Senthil
I filled only half of the pan... should the mixture be thin.. will thick mixture cause this?
Aarthi
@Shalini SenthilYes the batter consitency is little thin, and thick batter will cause this. u right.
Shalini Senthil
Yes Aarthi this time batter consistency is bit thin and it came out soo well... 🙂 no cracks at all... Awaiting to taste it... looks yummy... Thanks for the easy recipe 😉
manasa
Hi Aarthi,
The cake looks amazing.i want to try this for my husbands bday.he loves plum cake.
I just want to know if I can add some nuts like walnuts..If I add should I do something different and how much quantity can I add.
Aarthi
@manasayou can add nuts. no different in recipe just same
manasa
Thanks for the quick reply Aarthi!!
Shefali
Hi Aarthi,
Awesome recipe and the outcome is just amazing. I tried baking this cake and it turned out to be the best plum cake u can ever have. I also did a very thin layer of sugar icing. I did put rum. I put little less sugar.
Thank you very much. I love using your recipes; they are great.
God bless u!
I would like to share a picture of the cake but don't know how to do that.
Aarthi
U can send it to my email id [email protected]
Anonymous
Hi Aarthi,
I have tried many of your recipes.
Its simply awesome. I have one doubt in this cake...can i add self raising flour? What are the dos and donts for that?
Aarthi
not sure about self rising flour
Soumita Biswas
Yesterday I made chocolate fruit cake / super plum moist cake without parchment paper as it is not available in market, did by aluminium foil coated with butter but still cake was not baked properly. Pls suggest need your help as I m making it for Christmas...... Could you pls tell this cake can be done without paper or foil or then it will bake properly...required your suggestion
Aarthi
u can use foil. just increase the cooking time.
Anonymous
Hi Aarthi,
We are using Morphy Richards 40 Rcss, as you had advised earlier. Now for this plum cake which rack should we put the trays, as there are 4 racks.
Also, must state that your site inspired us to go for our own otg .
Your advice will be really appreciated.
Regards,
David
Aarthi
You can put it in the middle rack. like 3 one or so
Fermie Praisid
Tried it twice and it came out well. Thanks for the recipe. Just that it is a bit time consuming. But the taste was worth the wait. Thanks ☺
Blab Out
Many thanks. An abundance of facts.
Jeni
How many kgs of cake is this mam?
I need to make for 35 members... how much is required mam?
Aarthi
This serves 12 to 15
Jeni
Thank you mam
Jesi
Hi Aarathi, I tried chocolate fruit cake it came out very well.Thank you so much for the recipe.I just wanted to know the shelf life of this cake with out rum?
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