This delicious, moist fruit cake recipe was given to me by my great-uncle’s mother-in-law several years ago and it’s a firm favourite in our family. You can make it in advance (it keeps for years!) or the day before you need it. It can be a Christmas cake, a wedding cake, or just a nice slice of fruit cake with a cup of tea.
My mum and I used to make Delia Smith’s classic fruit cake for Christmas, but my sister didn’t like it. Then one day she tried a piece of Mrs Winstanley’s cake and was converted, so we adopted it as our go-to fruit cake recipe. I used it for my wedding cake and even the French contingent were impressed, despite their misgivings. (For a French person to admit to enjoying English cooking it has to be good.)
Since I stopped eating eggs, dairy and gluten I haven’t been able to enjoy this beautiful cake so I decided it was high time I tried to adapt it and I have to say, I’m pretty pleased with the result!
Ingredients:
3lb (1.36kg) mixed dried fruit (I use 1lb each of raisins, currants and sultanas)
3tbsp brandy
12oz (335g) vegan butter
12oz (335g) caster sugar
6 flax eggs (6tbsp ground flax whisked with 18tbsp water and left to set for 15 minutes)
6oz (170g) ground almonds
6oz (170g) gluten-free flour blend (I like Sarah Bakes Gluten Free)
Grated rind of one lemon
Brandy for feeding
Method:
Put half the dried fruit in a large mixing bowl and pour over 3tbsp brandy. Put the rest of the fruit on top and cover with clingfilm. Leave to soak overnight.
When you are ready to bake the cake, preheat the oven to 150ºc/300ºF and grease and line a 10” square cake tin (or equivalent.)
Cream together the butter and sugar in a very large mixing bowl. Once it is light and fluffy, beat in half of the flax eggs one at a time (so about 3 tbsp of mixture each time.)
Fold in the fruit, ground almonds, lemon rind and flour.
Stir in the remaining three flax eggs.
Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and smooth the top.
Bake in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours, checking after 1 1/2 hours. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin. If you are planning on maturing the cake, you need to ‘feed’ it by pricking the surface in several places with a toothpick or clean needle and pouring over 1tbsp brandy. Wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and foil and store in a tin or plastic box. Feed the cake every two weeks.
You can leave the cake as it is, or decorate with marzipan and royal icing. (Make sure that they don’t contain egg though!)
The Mulberry Bush 