Gluten-Free Vegan Fruit Cake - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

4.03 from 48 votes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Keyword: gluten-free fruit cake, vegan christmas cake, vegan fruit cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Author: Rhian Williams

• ▢ 300 g (1 ½ cup) dried fruit , finely chopped (I used a mixture of dates, dried cranberries, dried figs, prunes and dried apricots, but you can use whatever dried fruit mix you like)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unwaxed orange zest (or sub 1 teaspoon orange extract)
• ▢ 50 g (½ cup) walnuts , finely chopped (or sub pecan nuts)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mixed spice (or sub a mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves)
• ▢ Generous amount brandy or sherry (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary - or sub apple or orange juice)
• ▢ 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• ▢ 200 ml (⅘ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• ▢ 4 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ Pinch salt
• ▢ 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
• ▢ 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• ▢ 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

To decorate (optional):

• ▢ Flaked almonds

• Place the dried fruit, orange zest, walnuts, ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice in a bowl and add a generous amount of brandy or sherry, until everything is roughly covered.

• Keep covered in the fridge for around 24 hours, to allow the flavours to develop.

• Before making the cake, preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).

  See Also

  Cabbage Potato Curry (Vegan + GF) - Rhian's Recipes

• Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).

• Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, salt and ground almonds.

• Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

• Add the dried fruit mixture (along with any residual brandy), adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry.

• Transfer mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper (I used a one-pound loaf tin).

• Scatter over flaked almonds before baking, if desired.

• Bake in oven for 45 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

• Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

*You can alternatively usealmond flour.

• This is definitely not as sweet as a traditional fruit cake. If you prefer a sweeter cake, add 4 tablespoons of sweetener of choice, such as maple syrup.
• You can also make this without soaking the dried fruit a day in advance - place the dried fruit and alcohol (or juice) mixture in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 1 - 1 ½ minutes. Then leave to soak for 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Fruit Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 317Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 6g30%

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Sodium 58mg2%

Potassium 274mg8%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 8IU0%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 139mg14%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.