Kek Kukus, also known as Steamed Fruit Cake, is one of Muslim household’s favourite cake during fasting period and Hari Raya. It is moist, melts in the mouth and filled with fruits and nuts! The combination of the texture is complex but harmonises perfectly well together that will leave you wanting more! This cake can be kept for up to 3 months and it provides a source of energy during the fasting period. This Kek Kukus Prune with Mixed Nuts recipe is shared by local home baker Shartini from Shartini’s Food Journal.
Del Monte's Kek Kukus With Prunes and Mixed Nuts!
Del Monte's prunes for natural sweetness!
Here are the ingredients you’ll need: Del Monte California Pitted Prunes, plain flour, unsalted butter, eggs, vanilla essence, bicarbonate essence, lemon juice, nutmeg powder, salt, sugar, water, orange juice, walnut, pine nuts, powdered sugar, cream cheese and heavy cream.
Cook the sugar until it caramelizes
To prepare the cake batter, pour in sugar and cook until it caramelises. Here’s a tip! Do not stir the mixture. Instead, twirl the saucepan to spread the sugar.
Next, add in water and butter, cook until the butter melts. Pour in the Del Monte California Pitted Prunes, walnuts and pine nuts and stir well.
The original Kek Kukus recipes are filled with dried mixed fruits and nuts. However, mixed fruits are high in sugar content and does not contains any nutritional benefits. Hence, Shartini made it healthier by substituting it with her mother’s favourite snack - Del Monte California Pitted Prune.
The natural sweetness helps to intensifies the fragrance of the cake, and it allow the sugar level for the cake batter to be reduced. Moreover, it is high in dietary fibre and cholesterol-free too! Who can say no to eating healthier?
Sift in dry ingredients into the prune’s mixture and mix well.
Allow the mixture to cool down before pouring in lemon juice. Sift in plain flour, bicarbonate soda, nutmeg powder and salt into the prune’s mixture. Stir to mix well.
Here's a tip! Cover the case with a aluminium foil.
Beat eggs separately with vanilla essence and add into the mixture. Here’s another important tip! Pour mixture into a case and cover it with aluminium foil. This will prevent the water from dripping into the cake as it steams.
It’s time to steam the cake! Pre-heat the steamer for 10 mins.
Steam the cake for 2 hours. As water evaporates while steaming, always remember to check and refill the water level every 20 to 30 mins depending on the size of your steamer.
After steaming the cake, turn off the heat. Remove the lid, leave it in the steamer to cool for 2 hours. Once the cake has completely cool off, take out from steamer and sprinkle orange juice on it.
Sprinkle orange juice to keep the cake moist!
Here’s the 3rd tip of the day! Sprinkle orange juice to keep the cake moist. Wrap it with an aluminium foil and keep in an air tight container. You can keep it up to 3 days in room temperature, the taste will get richer and the cake will look shinier.
Serve with cream cheese frosting!
Next, before serving, prepare the cream cheese frosting! Combine butter and cream cheese into the mixing bowl and beat it till it’s creamy, well-combined, and lump-free. Combine it with half portion of powdered sugar. Add in vanilla essence, lemon juice and heavy cream to beat. Add in the remaining powdered sugar, beat till it has fully combined and smooth.
Sprinkle with toppings generously before serving
Spread the cream cheese and sprinkle generously with chopped walnuts and you’re good to go! You can serve it to your family and guests!
Here’s a summary of all the tips in the recipe.
Tip #1: Do not stir the sugar mixture. Twirl the saucepan to spread the sugar.
Tip #2: Pour mixture into a case and cover it with aluminium foil to prevent the water from dripping into the cake as it steams.
Tip #4: To ensure that the cake is fully cooked, wrap an aluminium fold over the case and apply some butter on it. This will prevent the condensed water from dripping into the cake
Tip #3: Sprinkle orange juice to the cake to keep it moist, richer and shinier.
Tip #5: You can replace orange juice with apple juice.
Tip #6: This cake can be kept for 3 – 6 months. The best way to store it is to wrap the cake with a cling wrap and aluminium foil and store it in the freezer. To serve, you will just need to thaw it for at least 3 hours.
Try the recipe and let us know how well your family and guests enjoyed it.
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Grab the full recipe below now!
- 175 g plain flour
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 140 g Del Monte California Pitted Prunes cut into quarter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 140 g sugar
- 30 ml water
- 4 tbsp orange/apple juice
- 100 g blanched walnut chopped
- 50 g pine nuts
- 100 g walnut chopped for garish
- 113 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 280 g cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 215 g powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- In a saucepan, add in sugar. Cook over low heat till it caramelises. #Tip: Do not stir. You may twirl the saucepan to spread the sugar.
- Add in water and butter, use a wooden spoon and stir till the butter has fully melted.
- Add in cut prunes, walnuts and pine nuts. Stir till the mixture boil. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and let it cool down slightly. Pour in lemon juice.
- Sift in plain flour, bicarbonate soda, nutmeg powder and salt into the prune’s mixture. Stir to mix well.
- Beat eggs separately with vanilla essence and add into the mixture.
- Pour mixture into a case and cover it with aluminium foil. #Tip: This will prevent the water from dripping into the cake as it steams.
- Pre-heat the steamer for 10 mins.
- Steam the cake for 2 hours. Water will evaporate as it steams, hence, remember to check the water level and top it up every 20 - 30 mins depending on the size of your steamer.
- After cake is cooked, off the heat. Remove the lid and leave it in the steamer to cool for 2 hrs.
- Once the cake completed cool, take out from steamer and sprinkle orange juice on it. #Tip: This will keep the cake moist.
- Wrap in an aluminium foil and keep in an air tight container. Keep it for 3 days in room temperature, the taste will get richer and it will look shinier.
- Add butter and cream cheese into the mixing bowl. Fit on the paddle attachment, beat it till it’s creamy, well-combined, and lump-free.
- Add in half portion of powdered sugar, beat it on low speed till the ingredients combine.
- Add vanilla essence, lemon juice, heavy cream, continue to beat it.
- Add in the remaining powdered sugar, beat till it has fully combined.
- Place cake on serving plate, spread the cream cheese and sprinkle generously with chopped walnuts.
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