For those that wish to soak your cake in orange liqueur, as soon as you remove it from the oven, skewer holes through the cake and drizzle over ¼ cup orange liqueur so it can penetrate through the holes and infuse thoroughly. Alternatively, you can also soak the fruit in whiskey.
The combination of vanilla, orange and cinnamon is a perfect marriage in Christmas desserts and this cake can be served warm as a pudding with vanilla bean custard or thick natural yogurt.
Gluten Free Family-favorite Christmas Cake
SERVINGS: 16-20 PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS
Ingredients:
- 600 g mixed dried fruit or a mix of the following (raisins, prunes, figs, apricot, currants, sultanas, dates)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract or paste
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- 3 tablespoons olive/macadamia oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups ground almonds/ almond flour
- 50 g walnuts
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 150 C (fan forced).
- Prepare an 18cm round cake tin with baking paper lining the sides and the base.
- Combine dried fruit, spice, vanilla, orange zest+ juice, olive oil and eggs.
- Add the almonds and walnuts and mix through.
- Spoon the batter into your baking tin
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check with a skewer to see if it comes out clean.
- Cover the top if necessary to prevent over-browning.
- Cool, then remove the tin and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
For those allergic to nuts, you can replace it with 1 cup wholemeal spelt flour. Please add additional ¼ cup olive/nut oil and 1 teaspoon baking powder if doing so.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season!
In good health.
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