Rich Fruit Cake- Vegan Alcohol Free Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

 

An easy Christmas fruit cake recipe perfect for the winters and holiday season. This cake is vegan and alcohol free too.

With Christmas around the corner, all I hear these days is ‘ rich plum cake’- The traditional rum soaked dry fruits filled festive Christmas cake . Just thinking about it makes one hungry for a bite isn’t it??

Not using eggs or alcohol, but still getting as close as possible to this festive bake, seemed quite challenging. I recently got hold of an amazing  book by Arlene Kezwer called ‘Baking – easy, elegant and eggless’. A lovely fruit cake recipe from it, a few ideas and inspiration from friends, and a bit of my own style, all put together and viola!! Here is my eggfree Christmas fruit cake recipe – alcohol free and vegan.

This one is for all moms. A perfect festive cake that your kids can enjoy and its pretty easy for you to whip up too.

Recipe

Prep Time           60 minutes

Cook Time           45 minutes

Servings               1 loaf

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup Chopped dry fruit *[see notes]

1/2 cup Orange crush

1/3 cup Oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp Orange zest

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder

1/2 cup warm water

1/4 cup Chopped nuts [ almonds]

1 Egg substitute **[see notes]

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put the chopped dry fruits in a glass jar and pour the orange crush over it. Give it a mix and allow to soak for an hour.
2. Sieve the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, the spices and baking soda together 4-5 times.
3. Preheat the oven at 180 C for 10 mins. Keep a greased and lined baking dish ready.
4. Beat the oil, sugar and warm water together.
5. Add the orange zest and substitute of one egg [ see notes] and beat well.
6. Mix in the soaked dry fruits.
7. Gradually add in the sieved flour and fold it in gently until no lumps are left.
8. Toss the chopped nuts and give a final mix.
9. Pour into the greased and lined baking dish.
10. Bake in the pre heated oven at 170 C for 45 mins.
11. Remove from the baking dish after 15 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack. Carefully remove the parchment paper used for lining.
12. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

RECIPE NOTES

• **For one egg substitute- Mix 1 and 1/2 tsp of cornflour, pinch of baking soda, pinch of baking powder and 2 tbsp of water. Make this mix only when required. Do not prepare it beforehand.
• * You can use any assortment of dry fruits and nuts of your choice. I used cranberries, prunes, black raisins, dry grapes, apricots and candied ginger for the soaking.
• You can also prepare this cake without soaking for too long. No worries, it turns out just as good.
• I used store bought thick orange crush for soaking the dry fruits. It gave quite a rich feel and flavour to the cake. Substituting it with plain orange juice might change the final texture and taste of the cake slightly.
• Oven temperature and time may vary. Use a medium hot temperature and a longer time to bake this cake .
• Grease and line the baking dish with parchment paper. This is important to avoid the cake from getting burnt and also to demold it easily once it is baked.

 

Happy baking.

Posted originally on DECEMBER 7, 2015