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!