Romy Gill's fruit cake from the Atwal Hotel

Name: Romy Gills Fruit cake from the Atwal Hotel
Cook time: 1 h 30 min

The chef shares a favourite childhood cake recipe which was sold during Christmas outside the Atwal Hotel in India.

Fruit cake from the Atwal Hotel | Penguin Random House

By Romy Gill | Published - 17 Sep 2025

Cooking Time

1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients

200 g (7 oz/generous 1 cup) mixed dried fruits
250 g (9 oz/generous 1 cup) glacé cherries, chopped
100 g (31/2 oz/2/3 cup) dates, chopped
200 ml (7 fl oz/scant 1 cup) orange juice
3 medium eggs
200 g (7 oz/3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp) butter, at room temperature
175 g (6 oz/3/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
300 g (101/2 oz/21/2 cups) self-raising (self-rising) flour
50 g (2 oz/1/3 cup) almonds, chopped
50 g (2 oz/1/3 cup) cashew nuts, chopped
50 g (2 oz/1/3 cup) walnuts, chopped
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200 ml (7 fl oz/scant 1 cup) whole (full-fat) milk

Method

Place the mixed dried fruits, glacé cherries and dates in a bowl with the orange juice and leave to soak for 20–30 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the butter and sugar, and beat together until smooth.
Sift in the flour then stir in the nuts and ground spices.
Add the milk and soaked fruits and beat the mixture again until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/375°F/gas 5 and line a loose-based 25 cm (10 in) round cake pan with parchment paper.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and cover the top with foil.
Place the cake pan on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Leave to cool then carefully remove from the cake pan.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

This cake stores well in an airtight container. Enjoy a slice with a cup of chai.

Romy Gill's India: Recipes from Home out now (Quadrille), RRP £28

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Read Romy Gill's article where she celebrates the food of her childhood

(Hero image credit: Romy Gill)

Written by: Romy Gill

Romy Gill MBE is a celebrity Indian chef, food/travel writer and broadcaster based in the southwest of England. Romy was one of the regular and much-loved chefs on BBC1’s Ready Steady Cook and has appeared on numerous other television shows.
Romy also regularly contributes to national and international publications including BBC Food, The Telegraph, The Sunday Times, The New York Times and much more. She travels across the UK and abroad to guest chef residences, food demos and conferences.

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