Vegan Gluten-free Christmas Cake

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Vegan Gluten-free Christmas Cake

Vegan Gluten-free Christmas Cake is a modern British recipe for a rich fruit Christmas cake that's adapted to be both vegan and gluten-free. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Vegan Gluten-free Christmas Cake.

prep time

90 minutes

cook time

90 minutes

Total Time:

180 minutes

Additional Time:

(+cooling)

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Vegan Recipes Cheese Recipes Baking Recipes Cake Recipes British Recipes

This cake started out as a gluten-free rich fruit cake. The addition of citrus, richer spicing and the substitution of butter with my home-made vegan butter transformed that cake into a vegan (and gluten-free) Christmas cake. This makes a 20cm (8 in) cake.

Ingredients:

For the Fruit:
100g (3½oz) soft prunes, stoned and halved
75g (3oz) raisins
75g (3oz) sultanas
75g (3oz) currants
150g (5oz) soft dried apricots, chopped in fairly large pieces
50g (2oz) mixed peel
30g (1 oz) dried figs, finely chopped
large lemon, finely grated rind and juice only
1 lime, juice and finely-grated zest
1 small orange, juice and finely-grated zest
2 tbsp brandy (optional)

For the gluten-free flour:
75g (2½oz) fine polenta
75g (2½oz) rice flour
1 tsp xanthan gum

For the egg substitute (replaces 2 eggs):
100g (½ cup) apple sauce
2 tbsp chickpea flour

For the Cake:
100g (3½oz) home-made vegan butter
1 large ripe banana
75g (2½oz) walnuts, halved (or 75g [3oz] large pumpkin seeds)
25g (¾oz) hazelnuts, chopped (or 25g [¾oz] sunflower seeds)
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
2 tsp (heaped) ground nutmeg
1 tsp (heaped) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (heaped) ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Method:

Combine the fruit in a bowl, add the citrus fruit and zest along with the brandy (if using) mix well to combine then cover and set aside to macerate for at least 90 minutes (best over night).

For the gluten-free flour, simply mix the ingredients together in a bowl.

For the egg substitute, mix the chickpea flour into the apple sauce (I made home-made, unsweetened from half a bramley apple and 2 tbsp water).

When everything is ready you can prepare the cake batter. Combine the vegan butter and banana in a food processor and beat until smooth. Turn into a bowl then mix in the macerated fruit (and liquid) along with the nuts/seeds and egg substitute. Mix well to combine then sift over the gluten-free flour, spices and baking powder. Stir well to combine.

Line a 20cm/8in cake tin with greased greaseproof paper. Spoon the cake batter in and level off the top.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 160°C/140C Fan/Gas 3 and bake for about two hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre emerges cleanly.

Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then remove from the tin and set aside to cool completely on a wire rack.

Eat as it is or store to be iced for Christmas. You can also decorate this cake with whole nuts such as almonds.