After years of trying to adapt my mother's marvellous Christmas/wedding cake recipe, I think I've finally found one, adapted from The Gluten Free Alchemist. This makes an eight-inch square cake, cooked in a silicone tray.
Ingredients
500g dried fruit – I used:
·
50 g currants
·
150 g raisins Flame raisins are
extra juicy
·
100 g sultanas I used Turkish
sultanas
·
50 g cranberries
·
50 g glacé cherries cut into
quarters (I used Morello glacé cherries)
·
75 g dried apricots chopped
·
75 g dried prunes chopped
·
50 g dates, chopped
·
3 large tablespoons marmelade
100g chopped/flaked nuts of choice – I used:
·
Ground chestnuts/almonds/other nuts
·
50 ml lemon/orange juice
·
100 ml cold brewed tea or apple/orange
juice)
Cake Sponge – dry ingredients
·
90g gluten free flour
·
1 tsp psyllium husk
·
½ tsp GF baking powder
·
1 tsp mixed spice powder
·
1 tsp ground cinnamon powder
·
½ tsp ground cloves
Cake Sponge – the rest
·
140 g unsalted butter or Stork margarine, melted
·
1 tbsp treacle
·
110 g brown/white sugar, mixed
·
2 large eggs UK large – lightly beaten/ 6 tablespoons chick pea water - vegan!
Instructions
1.
Weigh the fruit and nuts and juice and zest into a
large bowl and add the booze and vanilla.
2.
Stir through, cover the bowl and leave to soak for
about 24 hours at room temperature, stirring occasionally.
3.
Prepare your cake tin – Double line an 8 inch (20
cm) cake tin (at least 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) deep) with good quality
non-stick baking parchment. (I cut a wide strip long enough for the
circumference and folded it in half lengthways to make a double layer). And
base-line with a 2 circles of parchment (pre-cut).
4.
Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside (TIP
: Weigh into an airtight container and shake vigorously)
5.
Pre-heat the oven to 150 C/300 F/Gas 2. (If using a
fan oven – set to 130 C)
6.
In a very large mixing bowl and using a whisk, beat
together the butter, treacle, sugar(s) and eggs until evenly combined.
7.
Add and thoroughly stir in the dry ingredients and
fruit.
8.
Transfer the mixture to the lined tin and smooth
the top.
9.
Bake for 1½ to 2 hours until a skewer inserted into
the centre comes out clean and the cake feels firm to the touch.
10. Remove from the
oven and leave to cool completely in the tin.
11. Once cold,
carefully take the cake from the tin (be sure to remove the baking parchment
from the bottom of the cake also) and place on fresh baking parchment.
12. Pierce the cake
with a skewer all across the surface.
13. Using 50 ml
apple brandy/booze of choice/cold tea, brush the cake all over and drizzle or
syringe it into the skewered holes.
14. Once the liquid
has been absorbed, wrap the cake tightly in a double layer of baking parchment
and a double layer of foil.
15. Store in an
airtight container if possible.
16. ‘Feed’ the cake
every couple of weeks (about 3 to 4 times) with a couple of tbsp booze or cold
tea to give both moisture and maturity, being sure to wrap tightly before
further storing.
17. Ensure at least
a week between the final feed and covering in marzipan and icing (to give the
surface time to dry fully).
