Now you can have your cake and eat it too (vegan gluten free christmas cake recipe- nut free too if you need it to be)

No one needs to be left out this christmas.This christmas cake recipe takes in to consideration many dietary requirements. So moist and delicious. A friend said to me why would you need to use eggs and butter when it tastes better without? This friend is by no means vegan either- not yet anyway!! It speaks for itself and is so light but at the same time lovely and rich a small piece is all you need. It keeps wonderfully in the fridge for weeks. Happy christmas baking everyone.

Gluten free Vegan Christmas Cake

For a nut free version check the notes below

Ingredients

175 g currants

175 g dried apricots cut up finely

175 g sultanas

120 g figs cut up finely

100 ml brandy

1⁄4 cup gluten free self raising flour

1 3⁄4 cups almond meal

75g crystalised ginger cut finely (you can get the one these days that is rolled in rice flour rather than sugar)

2/3 cup rapadura sugar

finely grated rind of 1 lemon,

finely grated rind of 1 orange

1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon

1⁄4 tsp fresh nutmeg

1⁄2 tsp all spice

2 tbsp chia seeds

1⁄4 almond milk (or more if the cake feels dry)

20 blanched almonds

Extra brandy for feeding the cake before eating

Method

Soak the fruit in the 100ml brandy from anywhere between 12 hours and 5 days. The longer the better it seems.

Mix the chia seeds with the almond milk and wait for the seeds to swell. Mix the flour, almond meal and sugar with the cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice. Fold in the fruit and, ginger and lemon and orange rind. Mix inthe chia seeds.

Line a square or heart shaped tin with baking paper and then spoon in the cake mixture. Press the blanched almonds into the top of the cake in which ever shape you like.

Cut a piece of baking paper to cover the top ofthe cake. Cut out a little hole in the centre of this paper and then place over the cake.

Bake in the oven at 100 C for up to 3.5 hours.

Once the cake is cooked (to test if it is cook it will spring back when you press on it) place it on a wire rack.

When it is cool place it in an airtight container in the fridge. Before eating you can prick some holes in the bottom of the cake and thenfeed more brandy into it.

*If you want a nut free version- use gluten free flour instead of almond meal- i make a mix with sorghum, buckwheat and millet flour. And use soy or rice milk instead of almond milk.

Categories:Sweets

Tags:cake christmas fruit