Overview:
By: Matthew Bates
Meal Type: Accompaniments
Cook time: 2 Hours
Servings: A festive family!
The only Christmas cake recipe you will ever need, vegan style!
Baking is often better when vegan! And if we hadn't told you, you may not have even noticed! Your guests certainly won't! Enjoy this moist cake warm with a dollop of brandy Cashew Cream, or ice as you would a standard cake. Cook in your simmering oven, timings may vary, but lift off the oven floor and allow a minimum of 2 hours. When a skewer or small blade leaves the centre of the cake 'clean' it is done! (based on a simmering oven average temp of 120℃)
Ingredients:
- 1kg mixed dried fruit, choose your favourites! Figs, dates, apricots, raisins and sultanas are good!
- The zest and juice of 1 orange
- The zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 150ml Brandy, Rum, Whisky - whatever is your taste! (extra for the chef, and for feeding the cake!)
- 250g coconut oil
- 200g light soft brown sugar
- 4 tbsp chia seeds
- 175g plain flour
- 100g ground almonds
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and a bit of freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 100g flaked almonds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
You will need...
- A 7-8” wide, deep cake tin
- A large mixing bowl
- Baking parchment or liner, some butchers twine or natural fibre string.
- Measuring spoons and a wooden spoon
- Spatula for wiping clean the bowl or fingers are acceptable ;-)
Method:
- On the day before or more... Wash all your dried fruit, pop it in a large bowl with the citrus zest, juice, & alcohol. Leave for 24 hours.
- On the day - Line the base and sides of an 8" wide deep round cake tin with a liner or baking parchment. You can wrap the outer of your tin with folded parchment and secure with string, this helps to keep the bake 'even'.
- Add 150ml of tap water to the chia seeds, and leave to sit for 5 mins. They will become a bit 'gloopy', like egg white! MAGIC!
- Now, the fun bit. Mix all your ingredients together with the fruit mix, and combine. Mix by hand gently to ensure that all the flour is thoroughly stirred in, but not too long or hard as that can make for a dense or tight cake.
- When your skewer leaves the cake clean, remove from the oven and poke a few holes across the sponge, pour over more alcohol, around 2-3 Tbsp, now toast your efforts with a small tipple and let it cool!
- Once it has cooled wrap well with cling film, and feed with booze, 2-3 Tbsp, every 10 days or so. Leave a week before icing to allow the sponge surface to dry a little.
Toppings...
Get creative! Apricot Jam (vegan) is traditionally used to provide a glue for icing.
Or just pile your cake up with fruit! Warm the preserve through gently to use as a glaze for toasted nuts, candied peel, and dried fruits. Pile it up and brush on more jam as you go. Why not decorate with edible winter flowers like pansies or violas too?!
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