Gluten Free Christmas Cake Food

GLUTEN-FREE CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE - BEST EVER! (DAIRY-FREE OPTION)

Steps:

• Measure out all of your dried fruit (as I mentioned above you can change up what you use depending on what you have and based on personal preference). Ensure that any larger chunks of dried fruit are finely chopped - dried cherries especially, if using. Place into a large bowl.
• Pour over your amaretto (or brandy) and the juice of a lemon. Stir in your lemon zest. Cover with cling film and allow the fruit to soak for as long as you can. I only left mine overnight and that was fine, but a few days would be great if you have time.
• Preheat your oven to 140C (NOT fan) If you only have a fan oven go for 115-120C Fan.
• Prepare a 20cm loose bottom, high sided circular tin (linked above and below). Preparing your tin is a little more involved for this cake as it's in the oven for SO long. Instead of explaining here, I will pop a link to a video that will help with this in the FAQ section above - it needs to be double lined and double wrapped around the outside too.
• Add all your cake ingredients (softened butter, sugar, eggs, treacle, mixed spice, gluten free flour, xanthan gum, ground almonds and chopped almonds to a bowl.) Mix with an electric mixer until fully combined.
• Gradually stir in all your soaked, dried fruit thoroughly, using a spatula or wooden spoon.
• Spoon your cake mix into your prepared tin, making sure its all nice and level.
• Cover the top of your cake with a square of baking paper with a hole in the middle of it (the hole helps with steam and the covering helps to prevent the cake from burning).
• Bake in the oven for around 4 hours - it will be a dark golden colour and fairly firm. If it needs longer, give it another 15 minutes or so.
• Allow the cake to cool in the tin.
• Once cold, poke all over with a skewer until about half way down and spoon over a little extra amaretto (or brandy if preferred). Remove the cake from the tin.
• Wrap your cake in two layers of baking paper followed by two layers of kitchen foil. Store in an air tight container. If you are making this ahead of time, every few weeks you can feed the cake by pouring over a tbsp of alcohol. You can feed this every few weeks for 2-3 months.
• Remove the cake from its baking paper / foil wrapping and turn it upside down so that the flattest side is facing upwards. Spread all over with a thin layer of slightly warmed apricot jam.
• Dust your surface with icing sugar and briefly knead your marzipan until softer and more workable.
• Dust your surface again and your rolling pin too. Roll out your marzipan to a large circle, around 4mm thick.
• Use your rolling pin to lift up the marzipan and cover your cake with it. Carefully press it onto the top and down the sides so that it's lovely and smooth. Trim any excess marzipan left around the base using a sharp knife.
• Dust your surface once more with icing sugar and then roll out your white fondant icing. Roll out your white fondant icing to a large circle, around 4mm thick.
• Again, use your rolling pin to the lift up the icing and cover the cake with it. Trim any excess you might have.
• Decorate the cake however you wish with edible or non edible (ribbons, figures) decorations. I used a little red and green fondant to make holly leaves and berries - to help them stick I wet the surface of the cake and gently pressed them into place. I'd recommend buying holly leaf cutters to make this nice and simple - I've linked these in the FAQ section above.

GLUTEN AND SUGAR FREE CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Chop dates into small pieces and place in a pan with the water.
• Bring to the boil and simmer over a low heat for approimately 10 minutes until the dates are soft.
• Cool the date mixture.
• Process or beat together the date mixture, oil, ground almonds, spice, eggs and flours until they are well blended.
• Stir in the dried fruit and mix well by hand.
• Place into a lined and greased 6"- 8" cake tin and bake at Gas Mark 3, 330 oF, 170 oC for approximately 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to Gas Mark 1, 290 oF, 145 oC for a further 45 minutes.
• Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire tray.
• Remove the lining paper and allow to cool.
• Store in the fridge and eat within 2 weeks, or freeze (in slices).