French fruit cake

Baked this cake last Sunday, for a birthday party.

Wanted to surprise all with a different cake than my usual one. I was planning a cake with lots of decoration using the fondant icing. Since I did not have enough knowledge about it,  was little afraid to take a risk on a birthday cake. When I was talking about this with my husband, he suggested me to use some fresh fruits in the cake, because he likes my Pineapple upside down cake a lot. This kindled some idea and planned to decorate the cake with colorful fresh fruits.

Birthday means colorful, fun and joy. So I did colorful cake. Double layer Chocolate cake, white color frosting cream, and fresh fruits on top, sliced almonds with skins on sides.

Ingredients : For Cake recipe  2 1/2 cup -- All purpose flour  1/2 cup -- Cocoa powder  1 tin -- Condensed Milk  1 cup -- Butter  3/4 cup -- milk  2 tsp -- Vanilla essence  2 tsp -- Baking powder  1 tsp -- Baking soda  1 cup -- Chopped nuts and Raisins  7-8 -- Sliced Pineapple rings** For Decoration  2 box store bought whipping cream  Fresh strawberries halved**  canned Orange**  Sliced skinned almonds Method: --- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F, and grease the 2 nos of 8"pan. If you are having only one, not to worry  grease one pan and keep it ready. Once a cake is baked we can bake other in the same. --- Melt the butter and cool it. Add milk, condensed milk and mix thoroughly. --- Shift all the dry ingredients. APF, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder. --- Add the dry ingredients in batches to the wet ingredients along with Vanilla essence. --- Mix well and make sure there are no lumps. Now add the nuts and raisins to the cake batter and fold the batter from the center to mix the dried nuts and fruits. --- **I wanted a layer of pineapple in between the cakes, so in one pan I arranged the pineapples rings on the bottom. --- Pour the cake batter in both the pans. Eyeball measuring half quantity in each pan. --- Bake the cake in 350 F for 35 - 40 minutes. If using two pans, keep changing the pan in the racks in equal time interval for even baking. If using one pan, bake a cake first, cool completely then take the cake out. Wash the pan, grease it and follow the same procedure. --- Once both the cake are done, cool the cake completely. --- Mix the whipping cream with a dry spatula and keep it ready. --- With a knife cut the top bulged portion of the cake. Apply a little cream in the center of the plate or board in which you are going to mound the cakes. This is to avoid the movement of cake on the board or plate. --- I kept the pine apple cake as a down layer. If you are doing without that, keep any of the cake. Upside cut portion to be kept down. Now apply the cream on the top. --- Take another cake and place it on the cake with the frosting, make sure you are keeping the cut side down. Again like upside down. --- Using a clean big spatula, apply generously the icing cream on the sides and then gradually move to the top. If you feel the icing is little too jelly to handle the icing on the cake. Keep the cake into the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes and then work again. --- If you see some dents and marks on the icing, no problem. We are going to apply a nice nutty layer on the sides which will cover everything. --- Take handful of sliced almonds and pat it down on the sides. --- On top of the cake, according to your desire decorate with strawberries and oranges. --- You can use any fruits and decorate. No STOP sign for your imagination