Gluten Free Vegan Christmas Cake using Rice Flour

Method

Cake

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Rub some oil around the inside of a 18cm/7” deep, round cake tin with a double layer of parchment or greaseproof paper.
3. Take a 300mm/12” square of parchment, fold the corners to meet in the middle, press to make folded flaps. This will be used to reduce the risk of burning the cake top.
4. Put the flour, xanthan gum and mixed spice into a bowl and stir to combine.
5. Measure out the cherries, chop them in half and put them into another mixing bowl.
6. Weigh the mixed dried fruit into the mixing bowl.
7. Add the prepared flour, stir to mix and set aside.
8. Grate the apple into a jug or blender and grate in the orange rind.
9. Squeeze the orange juice and add this to the jug with the sugar, oil and water.
10. Mix with a stick blender or pulse in a blender until smooth.
11. Pour onto the prepared fruit and flour and mix everything together well.
12. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin, pushing it down and smoothing the top.
13. Place the prepared parchment paper square over the cake tin with the folded flaps pointing down. The paper should loosely cover the tin when it goes into the oven.
14. Bake for 2-2¼ hours.
15. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 12 hours.
16. When quite cold, remove the cake from the tin and wrap the cake in aluminium foil and store in a cake tin.

Decoration (optional)

1. Place a small selection of cranberries, redcurrants, bay leaf, rosemary or holly leaf (without holly berries) on top.