This moist and fruity vegan Christmas cake recipe is well worth the effort. You can also freeze it, but we bet you will scoff it all up before the festive season is over!
You’ll need:
540g flour
250g brown sugar
300g currants
100g cranberries
550g cake mix (sultanas and raisins)
120g glace cherries -chopped
60g mixed peel – chopped
420ml soya milk
105g coconut oil
38g bicarbonate of soda
3 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
300 ml brandy
For the marzipan:
420g flaked almonds
450g icing sugar
1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup water
Here’s how:
- Soak currants, cranberries and cake mix in 150ml brandy for 1 week. Wrap container with plastic wrap (it will expand) and shake every day.
- Mix flour, sugar, spices, cherries, mixed peel and soaked fruit in big bowl.
- Warm soya milk and stir in bicarbonate of soda.
- Melt coconut oil and mix with soya milk.
- Add soya milk mixture into flour mix. Don’t over stir, it just needs to all be mixed.
- Pour into 2 x 15cm lined cake tins and bake for 40 minutes at 175 degrees celsius, then for 30 minutes at 150 degrees celsius until toothpick comes out clean. (Ovens vary, so after first hour, check every 10 minutes).
- Once cooled, prick many holes with toothpicks and then pour over remaining 150ml brandy.
- Once all brandy has been soaked up – remove from tin and wrap tightly for another week, turning over every day.
- Now you are ready to decorate!
- To make the marzipan – put flaked almonds and icing sugar in food processor and pulse into it turns into a flour. (if you don’t have a food processor – use almond flour and just mix in bowl).
- Mix the lemon juice with the water and add half to your flour mix.
- Knead until a dough forms adding more water (almond flour might need more water than the flaked almonds). This should leave you with a pliable soft dough.
- Roll out on a piece of baking paper dusted with icing sugar.
- To cover the cake – flip the rolled out marzipan onto the cake and carefully remove the baking paper. Now just smooth and close any rips or holes. You can just cover the top in a thick layer, or the whole cake, or just the tops and side. (this recipe is enough to cover the whole cake).
- Leave cake in a cake box to dry for 48 hours to 1 week. The marzipan will help preserve the fruit cake.
- Now you can decorate in fondant – always use more than you think will be necessary!
- Roll out fondant in the same way as the marzipan. Before placing over the cake, brush marzipan with water – otherwise the fondant will just slide off.
- Once your fondant is on -you can decorate as you wish.
This cake will last 6-8 weeks in a cool, covered space. Or you can freeze the cake (just remove all loose or big décor).
To freeze the cake, wrap in 3 layers of plastic wrap and then in foil. Freeze for up to 6 months.Three days before you want to eat it, remove from freezer and place in fridge. Two days before, remove coverings and leave in fridge. Day before, remove from fridge and leave in covered place. Remember to add all the extra décor your removed!
Recipe courtesy of Anel Clarke from Deer Park Cafe.