I adapted a recipe I found here. I think soaking the fruit the night before always improves a Christmas cake but if you don't want it to contain alcohol, it's still a good idea to soak the fruit in some fresh apple or orange juice instead of the alcohol.
I used a shallow 2lb loaf tin but I think it would work in a deep 1lb loaf tin instead.
Vegan Gluten Free Christmas Cake GF
5 oz gluten free flour blend
1 oz ground almonds
3 oz soft brown sugar
5 oz sultanas
4 oz raisins
1½ oz dried apricots
1½ oz dates
¼ pint almond milk
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tblsps extra virgin olive oil
finely grated rind of one orange
finely grated rind of one lemon
½ tsp mixed spice
pinch of salt
juice of half an orange
4 tbsps brandy (or whisky) or more fruit juice
- Chop the dates and apricots with a hand blender or mini processor. Let it form a paste but not into a very smooth paste, you still need to be able to see pieces of chopped fruit. This helps to bind the ingredients.
- Tip the sultanas, raisins, chopped dates, chopped apricots, orange and lemon rinds into a bowl. Pour over 3 tablespoons of the brandy and the juice of half an orange (or fruit juice) and stir well. Cover and let the fruit steep overnight.
- Set the oven to 140°C
- Line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper or Loaf Tin Parchment Liners
- Whisk the flour, ground almonds, brown sugar and salt in a large bowl and stir in the dried fruit.
- Warm 3 tablespoons of the almond milk
- Pour the extra virgin olive oil into the remaining almond milk and stir well into the dried ingredients.
- Add the bicarbonate of soda into the warm almond milk and stir it into the mixture.
- Quickly tip into the tin and smooth the top. The bicarbonate of soda is the raising agent so you must do this step as fast as you can since the chemical reaction starts immediately once the ingredients are mixed together. Don’t let the batter sit, bake immediately to obtain the best results.
- Place in the oven and cover with a piece of parchment paper. Cook for 1¼ to 1½ hours. The top of the cake will be firm and a skewer inserted into the cake will come out clean when it is cooked. Mine needed 1½ hours.
- Make a few holes in the cake and pour over the remaining tablespoon of brandy.
- Cool in the tin
- Freeze or keep for up to 6 weeks in a tin, feeding with a little more brandy at weekly intervals.
If you're not vegan you may wish to try my Gluten Free Christmas Cake or the Grain Free Christmas Cake I make which is suitable for the SCD.
