Fruit and Nut Christmas Cake, gluten-free
This delicious gluten-free Fruit and Nut Christmas Cake has the perfect combination of sweet fruit, nuts, and warm Christmas spices. It's the perfect addition to your holiday baking list! You'll especially love that it is light and fluffy, has tasty pieces of pineapple and pecans throughout it, and most importantly it is gluten-free and dairy-free! This one-bowl, no-appliance-needed Christmas Cake is so easy that anyone can bake it!
What is Christmas Cake?
Christmas cake is a long-standing tradition that started back in the 16th century! This tradition has been carried through from all over the world and has many variations depending on the recipes that have been passed down over the years. The Christmas cake is a very popular cake during Christmas with variations of cakes with frosting, mixed spices, powdered sugar, orange zest, other fruits, and more!
In England, Christmas cake is a tradition that began as plum porridge. People ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. Soon dried fruit, spices, and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually, it turned into Christmas pudding.
In the United States, fruit cake is often served around Christmas time but this is not considered an actual Christmas Cake.
Watch How to Make It
How do you Make Fruit and Nut Christmas Cake?
This recipe requires no beating of eggs and butter and no sifting of flour. And though it is not made like a traditional Christmas Cake, it tastes like one - and even better!
Let's begin!
First, you will need to soak all the dried fruit in a bowl along with the orange zest, orange juice, and brandy. It is best to soak overnight but a minimum of 3 hours works just as well.
In the meantime, prepare the remaining ingredients. I like to chop up the whole fruit (dried apricots and pineapple slices) and nuts (pecans and pistachios), rather than buying them already crushed or diced.
Next, add to the fruit soak, the coconut sugar, spices, psyllium husk, warm water, pecans, pistachios, eggs, and dairy-free butter. Using a spoon to combine and a fork to 'mash up like a banana' the dairy-free butter. I have used Nuttelex for this recipe, however, butter can also be used.
Next, add the almond flour and self-raising flour and combine well. I love to use Casalare Flour as the mixture works perfectly.
Prepare the round cake pan by spraying it with oil and lining it with baking paper.
Pour the cake mixture into the pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. It is optional to decorate with some glazed fruit but I often just add a wreath of flaked almonds. Allow sitting for 5 minutes. Preheat the oven.
Bake for 2 hours and 40 minutes, however, as each oven works differently, you may need to bake for 10 minutes less or more. It is baked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow cooling for 1 hour in the pan before transferring to the cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.
Can I make my cake without alcohol?
Yes, you can replace the alcohol with a strong-tasting Earl Grey Tea or Rum Flavouring mixed with water.
Too much cake? Why not make a smaller cake?
Make this cake using half the quantities.
Simply use a cake pan that is 20cm in diameter and cook for approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes, or until the skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
How to Store this Christmas Cake
This cake can remain at room temperature for 24 hours, making sure it is wrapped in baking paper and then wrapping it in cling wrap. Thereafter, place it into an airtight container as well and into the refrigerator.
Other Festive Recipe Ideas
Fruit and Nut Christmas Cake
Serves 12
Pan size 23-25cm diameter
Prep 10 minutes
Fruit Soak overnight
Cook 2 hours 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Cake Mixture: 200g / 2 cups almond flour
150g / 1 cup gluten-free self-raising four
200g dairy-free butter, at room temperature (or dairy margarine)
130ml / ½ cup warm water
40g / ¼ cup coconut sugar
20g / ¼ cup psyllium husk
120g / 1 cup pecans, VERY finely chopped
30g / ¼ cup pistachios, VERY finely chopped
7 large eggs
Spices:
½ teaspoon clove
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Fruit Soak:
250ml / 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of 1 whole orange
100ml brandy (Traditional French, Cherry Brandy or Cointreau or Grand Marnier)
150g glazed cherries, cut in half
200g dried currents
200g dried sultanas
100g dried apricots, VERY finely diced
150g dried pineapple, VERY finely diced
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the ingredients for the fruit mixture in a bowl and combine well. Soak overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 140°C fan forced / 160°C conventional oven / 325°F and line a round cake pan with baking paper.
3. Add to the fruit soak the spices, coconut sugar, psyllium husk, water, pecans, pistachios, eggs, dairy-free butter and combine well. It is helpful to use a fork to “mash” the butter.
4. Add the almond flour and self-raising flour and mix until all ingredients are well combined.
5. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Optional to add glazed fruit to decorate or simply add almond flakes. Allow sitting for 5 minutes.
6. Bake in the oven for 2 hours 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and cool for 1 hour in pan before transferring to cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.
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Recipe and Photography Margaret Pahos for @CreateCookShare
