Before I start all the ingredients were at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Prepare a 7.5” loaf pan by greasing with oil and place a piece of baking paper at the bottom of the pan.

Cut the Petha/Candied Ash Gourd cubes into small cubes (like regular sugar cube sizes), and keep aside. 

For the dry fruits in the cake, use any dry fruits which are available with you. I’ve used a combination of black raisins, dried apricot, candied orange peels, and tutti frutti. 

In a bowl, sift all the dry ingredients (flour, spice powders, baking powder, salt, and sugar) together.

Next to add eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk well until a smooth, lump-free batter forms. Don’t whisk for a longer time. 

Add the petha pieces and dry fruits into the batter, mix gently. 

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Tap the cake pan gently on the kitchen counter a couple of times to release the air bubbles. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Check for the doneness after the first 45 minutes of baking, insert a sharp knife in the middle of the cake. The cake is ready if the knife comes out clean. If not, bake for some more time, and then check again.

During the baking time when the cake browns perfectly on top (after 30 minutes or so), cover the top loosely with a piece of Aluminium foil until it is fully baked. It helps to prevent over-browning on the top.

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and carefully remove the cake. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave there until cools completely.

When cooled, slice, serve and enjoy!