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A wonderfully indulgent vegan Christmas cake absolutely packed with fruit and spice. It's rich, moist, delicious and deceptively easy to make! #christmascake #veganchristmascake #fruitcake #veganchristmasrecipes #veganchristmas | Recipe on thecookandhim.com

Easy Vegan Christmas Cake Recipe

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 120 mins | Total: 150 mins | Quantity: 12-16 slices

Ingredients

  • 2 + 1/4 cups (350g) sultanas
  • 1/3 cup (50g / approx 8) stoned dates – roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup (100g) candied peel
  • 1/2 cup (100g) glacé cherries – halved
  • 1/3 cup (70g / approx 10) dried apricots – roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) brandy
  • 1 orange – grated zest and juice
  • 1 lemon – grated zest only
  • 2 tblsp ground flax seeds
  • 3/4 cup (175g) vegan butter
  • 1 + 1/4 cups (200g) light soft brown sugar
  • 1 tblsp black treacle
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) unsweetened plant milk – I used oat milk
  • 2 + 1/2 cups (350g) plain flour
  • 1/3 cup (40g) ground almonds
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • optional extra brandy for ‘feeding’

9 inch (23 cm) round spring form cake tin (see note)

Instructions

  1. The day before you want to make the fruit cake put all the dried fruit into a sealable container with the brandy, orange and lemon zest and the orange juice. Cover and leave somewhere cool or in the fridge
  2. Put the ground flax seeds in a mug or small bowl and stir in 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water. Set aside
  3. Preheat your oven to 140 Fan / 165 C / 325 F / Gas 3 and grease a 9 inch (23cm) round cake tin. I also dust with flour, shake out the excess and put a disc of parchment in the base to help prevent it sticking
  4. Either by hand or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the vegan butter and sugar until well mixed
  5. Beat in the treacle
  6. Add the milk, flour, almonds, spices and bicarbonate and quickly beat or stir until just starting to come together
  7. Add the soaked fruit and any excess liquid along with the flax and water mixture and beat or stir until everything is well mixed. If you're using a stand mixer try not to overbeat - just enough to be all mixed together
  8. Scrape into your tin and spread to the edges. I domed mine slightly in the middle after the first sunken cake fiasco!
  9. Bake for 2 - 2 1/4 hours until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean
  10. Leave to cool in the tin for around 15 minutes before removing the outer ring. Leave the cake on the base of the tin until cooled completely then carefully lift off the base and store the cake in an airtight container
  11. If you're making the cake in advance (up to 2 months) you'll want to 'feed' it with alcohol. This helps prevent the cake from drying and/or going mouldy
  12. Skewer a few holes all across the top of the cake and pour 1-2 teaspoons of brandy across the top. Repeat this once every 1-2 weeks for up to 2 months

Notes

  • If you only have a smaller size of tin you'll probably need to cook the cake longer and may need to reduce the temperature during baking to prevent the top burning before the cake itself is cooked
  • Feel free to change the fruit too - try mixed dried fruit or goji berries, dried figs etc. Just reduce the amount of some of the other fruits rather than adding more as this may imbalance the recipe

Recipe by The Cook & Him at https://thecookandhim.com/recipes/easy-vegan-christmas-cake-recipe/