Gluten & Dairy Free Christmas Cake

Christmas cake that is gluten-free, dairy-free, is suitable for vegans and vegetarians and has no refined sugar in there? No chance!

That's what I thought. Then I locked myself in my kitchen, recipe tested for days and refused to leave until I had created a recipe for the ultimate Christmas cake that ticked all of the above boxes. Yup, it happened.

This cake is real. It's also real good.

I am eating a piece right now because a cake this eye-wateringly good shouldn't be kept for just special occasions. It should be eaten every day, all day and that should be some sort of rule.

I know it's a special recipe because my dad loves it. Normally my dad likes my recipes (sometimes he hates them) but he very rarely loves them. So this cake must be a little bit spectacular if it got the thumbs up from him.

So without further ado, I present to you a Christmas Cake that really could do with some incredible entrance music.

A cake of pure joy, wonder and all good things!

Ingredients

For the mincemeat

150g dried mixed fruit

40g goji berries or dried cranberries

2 finely chopped apples

Zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange

1/2 tsp ground mixed spice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 tbsps brandy or orange liqueur

30g coconut oil

For the cake

450g mincemeat

225g buckwheat flour

3 tsps baking powder

150g coconut sugar

150g soft butter (or coconut oil)

175g dried mixed fruit

50g walnuts

Zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon

1 1/2 mashed bananas

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C.

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Place the mixture into a greased and lined (two layers of parchment paper) 20cm round cake tin

Cook in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours until the top is soft and springy.

Leave to cool in the tin for around 20 minutes - then turn out onto a wire tray to finish cooling.

It also makes for a great last-minute quick-mix Christmas cake if you haven't had the time to follow a traditional recipe as it can be made right at the very last minute (if you're like me!)

Season's Greetings to you all!