Christmas fruit cake recipe
This year more and more people have converted to a plant based or vegan diet with the trend increasing year upon year.
As Christmas approaches you may be planning your own plant based Christmas or have friends, guests or family who are plant based who are joining you for the festive season.
Surprise and delight them with a plant based and delicious Christmas fruit cake which doesn’t contain any dairy, eggs or butter which traditional cakes would include.
Every year we enjoy making this Christmas cake recipe, which is quick, easy, moist and delicious.
Here at feeling wholesome we lead a whole food plant based diet so sharing some of one of our Christmas treats with you so no one misses out this year will be a pleasure.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 180g plain fine wholemeal flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 450g mixed fruit, we like to mix our own with raisins, cranberries, sultanas and zest of an orange
- 10g chopped dates
- 10g chopped apricots
- 60g desiccated coconut
- 280ml hot water – or enough to just cover the soaking fruits
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp flax meal (ground flaxseeds) mixed with 3 tbsp warm water
Method:
1. Prepare the dried fruit – cut the apricots and dates with scissors for quickness. Place all the dried fruit – mixed, dates, apricots and coconut – in a bowl and cover with the hot water. Cover and soak for up to 6 hours.
2. When the fruit is ready, pre-heat the oven to 160°/325°/Gas Mark 3. If using a fan oven, reduce 15 degrees or so. Sieve all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl (flour, baking powder, mixed spice) and set aside.
3. Prepare the cake tin by lining it or use a silicone tin as we do which is easier. Mix the rest of the ingredients – the fruit and its liquid, the flax-meal mixture, orange juice – into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix quickly but thoroughly by hand until it’s all integrated. It should make a stiff but quite moist mixture. If it’s too dry, add a splash or two more water. Spoon into the cake tin and place in the hot oven immediately.
4. For one large cake: bake for 40 minutes then cover with the parchment/greaseproof to prevent the cake burning or drying out. Carry on baking for 15-30 minutes until the time is up or until a toothpick or sharp thin knife comes out of the centre cleanly.
5. For smaller cakes, bake for 30 minutes then cover with the baking paper to prevent drying out. Carry on baking for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick or similar comes out of each cake cleanly.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and let stand until cooled. Carefully remove from the tin, place on a cooling rack but cover the top to prevent drying out. When it’s had a chance to air out a bit, wrap in foil, place in an airtight container and store until ready for decorating, you may like to dust with a sprinkle of icing sugar, or add a handful of sliced nuts.
The cake will keep for several weeks in a cool place wrapped and kept in an airtight container.
Delicious and full of goodness.
