Our rich, Gluten Free, fruit cake, this is our family favourite fruit cake (especially if you feed it a little brandy for a few days). This cake works well as a celebration and Christmas cake and doesn’t need you to remember to make it weeks ahead.
The recipe has a moist even crumb created using the simple ‘reverse creaming’ method and the fruit doesn’t sink due to its lemon juice and almond flour coating.
“One of the nicest fruit cakes I’ve tasted.”
The recipe was first developed for Ma a couple of years ago when she was craving fruit cake and we wanted to try a GF, lower sugar version. The Tigernut flour is naturally sweet so less sugar is required.
Although the first attempt tasted great it needed work on the fruit distribution and rise. Many delicious iterations later we feel that the recipe is good enough to share!
Gluten Free Rich Fruit Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Flour mix (sieve or whisk together in a bowl or stand mixer)
165g Tigernut Flour
165g Buckwheat Flour
25g Arrowroot Powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
1/2tsp Xantham Gum
2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
225g Light brown soft sugar
135g Cold pressed rapeseed oil
Liquid mix
3 large eggs
200g soy milk (or your preferred milk)
15g apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Fruit mix (mix together in a bowl ensuring fruit is evenly coated)
200g currants
200g raisins
200g sultanas
200g chopped pitted dates
Rind of 1 Lemon
100g almond flour
30g lemon juice
Method
The method assumes the use of a stand mixer and we recommend using the convection setting on the oven if possible
Preheat the oven to 150°C convection (130°C fan) and line an 8” (20cm) square dark metal cake tin with parchment paper.
Weigh out the fruit mix ingredients in a bowl or large jug, mix thoroughly to coat the fruit and set aside.
Sieve and whisk together the flour mix ingredients above until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain.
With the K-beater (kenwood) attachment or equivalent, set the mixer speed to minimum and slowly add the rapeseed oil to the flour mixture, stop as soon as crumble stage is reached (the entire mixture will look like light brown soft sugar).
In a separate bowl whisk together the liquid mix ingredients until uniform.
Add approx. 2/3 of this liquid to the crumble and mix on slow/medium speed for 1 min 30 seconds (the mixture will start to look like buttercream). Add the remaining liquid in 2 parts, mixing for 20 seconds after each addition.
Give the fruit mix bowl a final stir to ensure even coating of the fruit and carefully fold into the cake mixture.
Transfer the mixture into the 8 inch square dark metal cake pan and bake for 2 hours. Test the centre of the cake with a toothpick or temperature probe. The toothpick should be clean and the temperature ideally between 95-98°C.
Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 20 minutes then remove to a cooling tray.
The cake can be served immediately, but if you can resist it turn the cake upside down and feed with a couple of tablespoons of brandy every day or two for a few days.
Enjoy!
