Vegan Christmas Cake

Method

Cake

1. Sieve the flour, xanthan and spice into a bowl, stir to combine.
2. Weigh the fruit, cherries, and peel into another bowl, add the prepared flour, stir to mix and set aside.
3. Line a 20cm/8" deep, round cake tin with parchment and pre-heat the oven.
4. Grate the apple into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, oil, grated orange rind and juice and water and beat together well.
5. Stir in the prepared dried fruit.
6. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin, pushing it down and smoothing the top.
7. Bake for 2-2¼ hours.
8. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 12 hours.

Icing and decoration

1. Warm the apricot jam and spread it over the cold cake.
2. Roll the marzipan into a large circle. Carefully lift it onto the cake, pressing and shaping it with a cake smoother to cover the cake. Trim away any excess. Leave the cake for at least 12 hours for the marzipan to set, alternatively wrap and store it until a few days before you plan to serve it.
3. Put the firm banana and icing sugar in an electric blender and mix into a stiff icing.
4. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the icing.
5. Decorate the cake with a ribbon before serving.