This vegan Christmas Cake is so quick and easy to prepare but still packs in all those fabulous festive flavours. However, this incredibly moist spiced fruit cake is not just for Christmas as it is also perfect to enjoy as part of a Hogmanay (New Years Eve) buffet, New Years Day, Easter, and Mother's Day. Or any time of the year when you fancy a slice of delicious fruit cake. This cake freezes beautifully and can keep well for a fair while in a cake tin, so there will be a slice ready for any unexpected guests.
greaseproof or baking paper for double-lining the cake pan
Mixing bowl
cooling rack
Pastry brush optional for decorating cake with fruit glaze
Ingredients
Vegan buttermilk:
200mlplant-based milk[such as soya, oat, or almond or your usual milk]
2teaspoonsapple cider vinegar[or plain white distilled vinegar]
Cake:
225gramswholemeal plain flour[whole wheat flour, or replace with plain or all-purpose flour]
140gramsdark brown sugar[or light brown sugar]
140gramsvegan butter[or a vegan-friendly margarine suitable for baking such as Stork, or your usual baking fat]
175gramsmixed dried fruit[or a mix of sultanas, raisins, currants]
411gramsfestive mincemeat[use one suitable for vegans, jarred mincemeat can be found in all supermarkets during the festive season]
55gramswalnuts[chopped, or different chopped nuts]
1mediumorange [remove the zest]
1mediumlemon[remove the zest]
1tablespoonbaking powder
1tablespoonmixed spice powder[or pumpkin spice or apple pie spice or similar spice blend]
1tablespoonbrandy[or fresh orange juice]
Optional decoration:
100gramswhole nuts[such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, brazils, hazelnuts, etc. Use plain nuts or toast the nuts in a dry skillet until speckled with golden bits for added flavour. Use more or less as required]
2tablespoonsapricot jam[or other smooth fruit jam]
2tablespoonfresh orange juice[or brandy]
Instructions
Prepare the vegan buttermilk:
Add the apple cider vinegar to the milk, stir, and leave for at least 10 minutes to begin curdling.
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 200 ml plant-based milk
Preheat the oven to 130 Fan/ 150 Celsius/ 325 Fahrenheit/ Gas 2.
Prepare the cake pan by greasing the bottom and sides with a little vegan margarine or butter. Layer the sides and bottom of the cake pan with a layer of greaseproof paper. Grease the paper layer once it has been pressed onto the cake pan, and press on a second layer of greaseproof paper over the first.This will protect the cake from the heat.
Pour in the buttermilk and mix well until everything is well combined.
Scoop the cake mix into the cake pan and level the top down a little.
Bake:
Place the cake pan onto the middle oven shelf and bake for 90-100 minutes or until baked.Check for doneness, by sticking a skewer into the middle and seeing if it comes out clean. The top of the cake will be nice and firm also. If the cake is not quite ready bake for a further 10 minutes and then check again. Our fan oven took around 1 hour and 40 minutes for the cake to bake.
Cool the cake:
Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes in the cake pan.
Once cool carefully tip the cake out and place on a cooling rack until completely cool.
Wrap the cake in a layer of greaseproof paper and a second layer of kitchen foil. Place in a cake tin or plastic container until ready to decorate.
Feed the cake:
If you'd like to 'feed' the cake after a few days or even a week later (before decorating), uncover the cake wrappings and using a skewer or tooth pick make little holes over the cake. Measure a tablespoon of brandy or fresh orange juice and scatter or brush the liquid over the cake. Wrap the cake back up. If you feed the cake with orange juice it won't keep as well as with a cake fed with brandy as the alcohol preserves the cake.
Decorate, optional:
The festive cake does not have to be decorated but for special holidays or days the cake can be decorated to suit.
A layer of vegan marzipan and a second layer of vegan royal style icing can be applied. Or for an easier method try some nuts and a fruity glaze.
With a small spoon or fork whip two tablespoons of apricot jam with two tablespoons of fresh orange juice or brandy.
2 tablespoons apricot jam, 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Using a pastry brush brush a layer of the glaze over the top of the cake. Firmly press on whatever nuts you have chosen, making a pattern if liked, until the cake top is covered.
100 grams whole nuts
Brush the remaining glaze mix over the nuts. It is a sticky business but give the nuts a little press just to make sure they are nestling firmly into the cake while you glaze.
Allow the cake to sit for a few hours for the glaze and nuts to settle.
Wrap the cake back up until required. Decorated fruit cakes with a glaze can store for at least a month usually longer if stored and wrapped correctly. Keep the cake in a cool, dry area away from heat sources such as the cooker. Undecorated fruit cakes fed with brandy, and well wrapped, can be stored for at least a few months.
Notes
Nutritional data is provided for guidance only and is not a strict analysis as ingredients vary.
Quick and easy vegan Christmas cake can be stored decorated or undecorated for at least a month, likely longer if well wrapped with a layer of greaseproof paper and a second layer of kitchen foil and placed in a cake tin or plastic container.
Or freeze the whole cake or individual slices for up to 4-6 months, well wrapped. This is perfect for getting ahead of Christmas/festive/special Holidays preparations. Or preserving the cake to enjoy year round.
It's best not a cut a fruit cake until at least a few days after baking so that the cake can settle and the flavours develop. Also it will be easier to slice a few days old cake.
Instead of mixed spice powder use - 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ginger and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg or a similar home-made spice blend. A pinch of ground cloves is also tasty too. Or replace with pumpkin spice mix or apple pie spice mix.