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Indian

Kerala plum cake (alcohol-free)

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Kerala's dark, spiced Christmas fruit cake, coloured with a bitter caramel syrup. In this alcohol-free version the dried fruit is soaked overnight in orange and grape juice instead of rum or brandy.

Kerala plum cake (alcohol-free) is an Indian cake, ready in about 12 hours 45 minutes and made with raisins and orange juice. It serves 14 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
35 min
Cook
1 h 10 min
Rest
1 h
Total
12 h 45 min
Serves
14
Level
Intermediate
Calories
252

Includes soaking the fruit overnight (about 10 hours).

Ingredients

14 slices

Fruit soak

Caramel

Cake

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    The night before, combine the raisins (opens in a new tab), dates (opens in a new tab), prunes (opens in a new tab) and candied fruit with the orange and grape juice (opens in a new tab). Cover and leave overnight at room temperature (or in the fridge in hot weather), stirring once or twice; the fruit will absorb most of the juice.

    • 5 min

  2. Step 2

    Make the caramel: melt the sugar (opens in a new tab) in a dry saucepan (opens in a new tab) over medium heat, swirling, until it turns very dark amber and starts to smoke lightly. Off the heat, carefully pour in the hot water (it will hiss), then stir over low heat until smooth. Cool completely.

    Food safety: Molten sugar causes serious burns and spits violently when water is added — stand back, pour slowly and keep children away.

  3. Step 3

    Preheat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 160 °C. Line a 20 cm round tin or a 23 × 13 cm loaf tin (opens in a new tab) with baking paper. Whisk the flour, raising agents, salt and spices; toss 2 tbsp of it with the soaked fruit (lifted out of any unabsorbed juice) and the cashews (opens in a new tab) so they don't sink.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Beat the butter (opens in a new tab) and brown sugar (opens in a new tab) for 3–4 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs (opens in a new tab) one at a time, then the vanilla (opens in a new tab) and the cooled caramel. Fold in the flour mixture, then the fruit with any remaining soaking juice and the nuts.

  5. Step 5

    Scrape into the tin, level and bake 60–70 minutes until a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil after 40 minutes if the top darkens too fast.

  6. Step 6

    Cool in the tin 15 minutes, then on a rack completely. Wrap well; the flavour improves after 1–2 days.

About this dish

Origin
Kerala, India · Commonly attributedA Christmas tradition in Kerala that grew from British-style fruit cake; this soak is a modern alcohol-free adaptation.More food from India
Dish
Dessert · Snack · Cakes · Desserts
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
sweet, fruity, aromatic / warmly spiced, bitter
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: Alcohol-freeWith the listed swaps: Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Raisins · Orange juice · Dates · Prunes · Grape juice · Sugar
Techniques
Baking

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom cashews
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins, candied fruit / peel

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

252 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 71 g · recipe makes 14

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 60%
  • Fat 34%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy252 kcal353 kcal
Protein3.8 g5.3 g
Carbohydrate39 g54.6 g
Net carbohydrate37.4 g52.3 g
Sugars26.2 g36.6 g
Added sugars14.4 g20.2 g
Fibre1.6 g2.2 g
Fat10 g14.1 g
Saturated fat——
Trans fat——
Cholesterol——
Sodium180 mg253 mg
Salt equivalent0.5 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
210 mg
Calcium
51 mg
Iron
1.4 mg
Magnesium
24 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
81 µg
Vitamin C
5 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
43 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: vanilla extract.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Take the caramel genuinely dark — it gives the cake its colour and slight bitterness — but stop before it turns black.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the caramel hot melts the butter and the batter splits.

Serve with

  • Serve slices with tea or coffee on Christmas morning, or alongside other festive sweets.

Storage

  • Keeps 1 week wrapped at cool room temperature, 2 weeks refrigerated, or 3 months frozen. Without alcohol it does not keep as long as a fed cake.

Variations

  • Traditional fed plum cake: Fruit soaked for weeks in rum or brandy and the baked cake brushed with more spirit.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Cake

Used in steps 3, 4

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 35 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Rest · about 10 h

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 1 h 10 min at 160 °C

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  4. Cool · about 1 h

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  5. Start to finish: about 12 h 45 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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