Christmas or rich fruit cakes like these are relatively easy to make. The two main problems being, shopping and cooking. I spend hours walking around the supermarket trying to get all the bits and pieces together, and the other is the cooking take it slowly, this cake takes at least 5½ hours.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 150 ml Whisky or Brandy
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice
- 1 large orange, zest and juice
- 4 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 500 g currants
- 500 g fat sultanas
- 250 g raisins
- 250 g chopped dates
- 200 g mixed peel
- 500 g salted butter, at room temperature
- 500 g soft brown sugar
- 8 medium free-range eggs, at room temperature
- 500 g Gluten-Free Flour Mix B, (see below)
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 2 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g ground almonds
- 100 g nibbed or flaked almonds
- 200 g whole natural glace cherries
For the top
- 2 tbsp smooth apricot jam, warmed
- marzipan
- royal icing
Instructions
- Put the booze, lemon and orange zest, juice, honey and treacle into a bowl and whisk together well.
- Add the fruit and again really mix well, then cover and leave at room temp for 12 hours but best for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Wrap the tin in 2 layers of brown paper and tie with string, then line the 11" cake tin with at least two layers of greaseproof or silicone paper, leave at least 1½" above the tin.
- Pre-heat the oven to 150C, gas 2
- Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until creamy—no need to go mad.
- Add eggs together, slowly and gradually add slowly, then add the flour and mix well but do not overbeat.
- Next, add the spices, nuts, cherries and all the fruit and juices, stir in well.
- Carefully spoon into the tin, cover loosely with greaseproof paper and pop in the oven.
- Remove the top paper at about the 4 ½ hour mark.
- When cooked, remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes. Then turn out, leave to cool overnight.
- Cover with marzipan at least 3/4" thick and ice with royal icing, not sugar paste, at least three coats.
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Notes
Gluten-free Flour Mix B
I use three Gluten-Free Flour Mixes simply because different combinations of flour work better for different recipes. I’ve found Gluten-Free Flour Mixes A and B work well for biscuits and cakes, while the Gluten-Free Bread Mix contains soy flour, which I think helps in most of the recipes with yeast.
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Nutrition Facts
Rich Fruit Christmas Cake (Gluten-Free)
Amount per Serving
Calories
269
% Daily Value*
Fat
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Sodium
11
mg
0
%
Potassium
168
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
50
g
17
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
47
g
52
%
Protein
3
g
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
