Vegan Christmas Cake
Replace eggs
with chia seeds in this vegan version of a traditional Christmas cake. Coconut
oil adds excellent background flavor and keeps cake moist
Ingredients
- 125 g (2/3 cup) dark brown soft sugar
- 85 g (3oz) glace cherries halved
- 125 g (4.5oz) currants
- 50 g (1/3 cup) light brown soft sugar
- 100 g (3.5oz) mixed candied peel
- finely grated zest of 1 large orange
- 100 g (3.5oz) dried cranberries
- 30 g (one rounded Tbsp) treacle (or molasses)
- 125 g (4.5oz) sultanas
- 40 g (1/3 cup) ground almonds
- 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 175 g (2/3 cup + 1Tbsp) dairy free block margarine
- 340 g (2 + 3/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- rum or brandy for feeding
- 1 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin spice)
- 60 g (2oz) almonds chopped
- 125 g (4.5oz) raisins
- 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1Tbsp + 1tsp) rum or brandy
- finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) unsweetened soy milk (or other unsweetened non-dairy milk)
Instructions
First, start
preparing the fruit at least the day before the cake is baked.
Then, combine
all the dried fruit in a large bowl with a lid, add the rum, mix well, then
cover and let stand overnight (or up to a week - stir it occasionally).
The next
day, preheat the oven to 140 ° C / 275 ° F / gas mark 1. Grease a 20 cm / 8
inch deep round cake pan and line with a double layer of parchment paper.
In a large
bowl, whisk together the dairy-free margarine (or softened coconut oil), dark
and light brown sugars, molasses, and orange and lemon zest until fluffy.
In another
bowl, sift together plain flour, ground almonds, baking soda, mixed spices,
cinnamon and nutmeg.
Pour the dry
ingredients into the margarine mixture, along with the soy milk and red wine
vinegar. Stir until everything is combined; be careful not to mix too much. The
dough should be very thick.
Stir in the
soaked dried fruit, as well as any remaining liquid, and the chopped almonds.
Scrape the
dough into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it level.
Because it is
so thick that it does not spread much in the oven, it is therefore important to
get it as regularly as possible.
Bake for 2-3
hours until a skewer comes out clean; mine took 2 1/2 hours. Let the cake cool
in the box on a wire rack, turn it off and brush with rum or brandy.
Wrap the
cake in parchment paper, then aluminum foil, and store it in an airtight
container, feeding it every week or two with rum or brandy, for up to six
weeks. Happy Cooking Time.
