Step 1

Take all the dry fruits and nuts in a bowl. I just rinse them once or twice and then drain them very well.

Step 2

Now finely chop all of them and collect in a mixing bowl.

Step 3

Add the apple juice and mix very well.

Step 4

Cover the bowl and refrigerate letting the dry fruits soak in the apple juice for a day.

Step 5

Bring the dry fruits and apple juice mixture to room temperature before you proceed with making the cake.

Step 6

In a sauce pan, take the sugar and water.

Step 7

Mix and stir very well. Keep this pan on the stove top on a low heat. I have used organic unrefined cane sugar but you can use white sugar.

Step 8

Bring this sugar solution to a boil on a low heat. You will see the mixture bubbling initially.

Step 9

Continue to cook and do keep on stirring often.

Step 10

At one point it might look that the sugar is getting crystallized.

Step 11

Continue to cook and stir frequently till you see the color changing to a dark brown. Switch off at this point.

Step 12

Remove the pan from the stove top and place it down. Immediately add 1 cup water to the caramel. Be careful while doing so, as the mixture splutters.

Step 13

The caramel will harden as soon as you pour the water. Keep the saucepan back on the stove top on a low flame. Stir often and bring to a gentle simmer till all the hardened caramel is dissolved. Do stir often so as to aid in dissolving the caramel.

Step 14

Let this caramel solution cool completely.

Step 15

Once the caramel has cooled, add the oil. I used olive oil. You can also use sunflower oil or melted butter. If using melted butter then add it when the caramel solution turns warm.

Step 16

Mix the oil with the caramel solution very well.

Step 17

Next add lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. I have used lemon juice. You can also use white vinegar. Mix again very well.

Step 18

Grease a 8-inch round pan very well with oil or butter. Also preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 mins before you bake.

Step 19

In a sieve, take whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, clove powder and cardamom powder (optional).

Step 20

Sift all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Step 21

Next add the soaked dry fruits + apple juice mixture to the sifted dry ingredients.

Step 22

With a spatula just mix lightly.

Step 23

Add the caramel solution.

Step 24

Now fold the flour ingredients with the caramel solution to a smooth batter.

Step 25

Pour the batter in the prepared pan.

Step 26

Gently shake and tap the pan so as to even out the batter.

Step 27

Place the pan in a preheated oven and bake the cake at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. A wooden skewer should come out clean and dry when inserted in the cake.

Step 28

This cake has to be baked very well. If the top gets browned too much, then cover with an aluminium foil or parchment paper and bake. Baking time varies with various brands and models of oven.

Step 29

You can sift some powdered sugar on top of the cake to hide the cracks on the top. Slice and serve the cake.

Step 30

The cake can also be refrigerated. It keeps good for 10 to 12 days in the fridge. Cut the kerala plum cake in slices and stored the slices in an airtight box.

Step 31

Enjoy the cake as a snack or dessert with your Christmas meals. You can choose to serve the cake with any beverage of your choice - hot cocoa, drinking chocolate, milk, tea, coffee, espresso or wine.