Gluten-free Christmas cake
Method
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Preheat the oven to 160C/300F/Gas 3.
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In a food processor beat the butter/margarine with the banana and the lemon juice and rind. Pour into a bowl.
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Mix in the dried fruit and nuts or seeds.
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Beat the eggs if you are using them.
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Sieve which ever flours you are using with the baking powder (if you are substituting it for the eggs) and the spices.
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Fold the eggs (if you are using them) into the fruit mixture alternately with the flours. Add some brandy if you like.
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Line a 20cm/8in cake tin with greased greaseproof paper. Spoon the mixture in and level off the top.
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Bake for about two hours or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
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Remove from the tin and cool on a rack.
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Eat as it is or store to be iced for Christmas. You can also decorate this cake with whole nuts such as almonds.
Ingredients
- 100g/3½oz soya margarine (or whatever kind of butter you like)
- 1 large ripe banana
- 2 large lemons, finely grated rind and juice only
- 100g/3½oz soft prunes, stoned and halved
- 75g/3oz raisins
- 75g/3oz sultanas
- 75g/3oz currants
- 150g/5oz soft dried apricots, chopped in fairly large pieces
- 50g/2oz mixed peel
- 75g/2½oz walnuts, halved and 25g/¾oz hazelnuts, chopped OR 75g/3oz large pumpkin seeds and 25g/¾oz sunflower seeds
- 2 eggs (or 2 level tsp gluten-free baking powder to make an egg-free cake)
- 75g/2½oz coarse polenta and 75g/2½oz rice flour and 1 level tsp xanthan gum OR 150g gluten-free flour that already includes xanthan gum
- 2 heaped tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 heaped tsp ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tbsp brandy (optional)
Shopping List
Gluten-free Christmas cake
Fruit and vegetables
Tins, packets and jars
Cooking ingredients
Drinks
Dairy, eggs and chilled