Vickys Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake, GF EF EF SF NF

Name: How to cook Vickys Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake, GF EF EF SF NF - cookcic.com
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Us

Introduce

Chef :

Vicky@Jacks Free-From Cookbook

Vickys Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake, GF EF EF SF NF

A free-from version of a traditional Christmas cake best made at the beginning of December so it's at it's best for Christmas Day

Ingredient

Food ration :

10 servings

Cooking time :

1 hr 45 mins

340 g (12 oz)

slightly rounded xanthan gum if using GF flour

1 tsp

bicarbonate of soda / baking soda

1/2 tsp

mixed spice (see my separate recipe for this)

1/2 tsp

plus 2.5 tbsp) light coconut milk or milk of choice

6 tbsp

Brandy / Cointreau - I use half & half!

Cooking instructions

* Step 1

Grease and line a 7 or 8 inch, deep round cake tin and preheat the oven to gas 4 / 180C / 350F

* Step 2

Mix the flour, xanthan gum if using, bicarb of soda, mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a large bowl

* Step 3

Cut in the sunflower spread like you would if making pastry

* Step 4

Stir in the sugar, currants, sulranas, raisins, cherries, mixed peel and lemon zest

* Step 5

Add the milk and stir in just until the batter is smooth. Gluten-free batter may need up to 2 extra tablespoons of milk

* Step 6

Pour into the cake tin. Try and push the batter down a bit in the middle of the tin to encourage a more even rise while it bakes

* Step 7

Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, then turn the heat down slightly to gas 3 / 160 / 325F for another 45 minutes or until the cake has pulled in from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean and dry

* Step 8

Turn out and let cool on a wire rack

* Step 9

When completely cooled, prick all over the cake top with a cocktail stick and spoon 2 tablespoons of the Brandy / Cointreau evenly over. I find it easiest to do this back in the tin lined with clean parchment paper

* Step 10

Wrap and store in an airtight container for a week then repeat the pricking and 2 tbsp Brandy feeding. Do this until the Brandy is gone. At the end of the final week the cake is ready to eat! This cake will keep for up to 4 weeks from the day it's baked, 3 weeks for the gluten-free version so the GF is best made I feel on the 4th of December to make it perfect for Christmas Day

* Step 11

If you want to you can spread some apricot jam over the top of the cake and cover in a thin layer of marzipan then spread more jam over that before a final covering of white ready roll fondant icing and maybe some holly leaves or Christmas cake toppers