Fruit Cake – Wheat & Dairy Free

Perfect as a Celebration Cake: delicious, aromatic, comforting and mooreish.

Gooey with brandy soaked fruit, richly studded with nuts, and beautifully preserved with further ‘feedings’ of brandy & coats of marzipan and icing.

A true, no fuss celebration cake, for all..

Adaptable recipe to suit all needs and tastes.

Although my version exudes brandy in both smell and taste, you can swop this for apple or orange juice, or your preferred tipple, to adjust to your preferences – Amoretto is particularly good, too.

The standard recipe is wheat and dairy free, but can easily be adapted to accommodate cooks who prefer to use real butter or regular flour…

If you or your guests prefer not to have nuts, simply omit. Otherwise, adjust fruits (perhaps adding large pieces of glace cherry) and nuts according to your favourite, and what you have available.

Gentle Baking

As the cake needs to be in the oven for a long time, double lining the inside and outside of the tin is essential to allow the cake mixture to gently cook. Use a double layer of baking paper, cut to neatly fit inside, and several layers or newespaper folded around / under the cake tin when in the oven, baking, to ensure that the oven’s effect is gently baking, rather than quick roasting!

“Bake well ahead of time, and feed with amoretto or brandy for a few weeks.”

— The resulting citrus, spicy, heady smell of this wonderful cake is perfect for winter celebrations!

Ingredients

FRUIT:

850 g + of mixed dried fruit (As much as you wish: add Glace Cherries etc..!)
2 lemons, zested and juice of 1 (or use oranges)
120 ml – 750 ml amaretto / brandy / orange or apple juice

CAKE:

220 g dark brown sugar
225 g soft butter or dairy-free alternative
4 eggs
1 tbsp black treacle
1.5 tsp mixed spice
225 g gluten free plain flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
25 g ground almonds
50 g blanched almonds chopped

ICING:

apricot jam, or similar – I use home made Crabapple & Orange Jelly
300g – 400 g marzipan
500g – 700 g white fondant icing

DECORATION

Whatever you wish!

INSTRUCTIONS

fruit:

Measure out all of your dried fruit (as I mentioned above you can change up what you use depending on what you have and based on personal preference). Ensure that any larger chunks of dried fruit are finely chopped – dried cherries especially, if using. Place into a large bowl.
Pour over your amaretto (or brandy) and the juice of a lemon. Stir in your lemon zest. Cover with cling film and allow the fruit to soak for as long as you can. I only left mine overnight and that was fine, but a few days would be great if you have time.

cake:

Preheat oven to 140C (NOT fan) If a fan oven, go for 115-120C.
Prepare a 20cm loose bottom, high sided circular tin carefully, as it’s in the oven for SO long. It needs to be double lined with baking paper, & double wrapped around the outside as well.
Mix all the cake ingredients (softened butter, sugar, eggs, treacle, mixed spice, gluten free flour, xanthan gum, ground almonds and chopped almonds to a bowl.) Whisk with an electric mixer until fully combined.
Gradually stir in all your soaked, dried fruit thoroughly, using a spatula.
Spoon cake mix into the prepared tin, making sure its level.
Cover the top of your cake with a square of baking paper with a hole in the middle of it (the hole lets steam escape whilst the covering helps to prevent the cake from burning).
Bake for approx 4 hours, until dark golden colour and fairly firm. If it needs longer, give it another 15 minutes or so.
Allow to cool in the tin.
Once cold, poke all over with a skewer until about half way down and spoon over a little extra amaretto (or brandy if preferred). Remove the cake from the tin.
Wrap your cake in two layers of baking paper followed by two layers of kitchen foil. Store in an air tight container. If making ahead of time, every few weeks you can feed the cake by pouring over a Tbs of alcohol. Continue for 2 – 3 months if wished.
A few days before using, brush with jam, then ice with marzipan; fitting well.
Leave to dry for several days.
Brush with jam again then ice with fondant and decorate.