Recipe by Kristin Cosgrove
I’ll be honest, this Simple Gluten-free Christmas Fruit Cake is so delicious I don’t just make it for Christmas. It’s rich, not too sweet and a bit grown up. It’s also very simple to make and no soaking or steaming is required. If you can find an organic dried fruit mixture to use, all the better.
A note from Georgia
I’m not a huge fan of Christmas cake – I really don’t enjoy the traditional fruit cake mix so when recipe testing this, I decided to make my own mixed dried fruit. I bought a combination of dried blueberries, currants, cranberries, sultanas and added diced apricots and figs. It was SO delicious, I’m converted! I always thought Christmas Cake was hard to make but this was just so simple.
Simple Gluten-free Christmas Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 80 ml water (⅓ cup)
- 80 ml brandy – or use more water (⅓ cup)
- 2 orange/s – zest and juice
- 170 g butter
- 95 g coconut sugar or rapadura (½ cup)
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 900 g mixed dried fruit
- 3 free-range or organic egg/s – lightly beaten
- 120 g almond meal (1 cup)
- 65 g fine brown rice flour (½ cup)
- 60 g tapioca flour (½ cup)
- 1 tsp baking powder – gluten-free
Optional Toppings
- ¼ cup blanched almonds – to decorate
- 2 tbsp brandy – extra
- 2 tbsp apricot jam – to glaze
Method
- In a large pot, melt together the water, brandy, orange zest and juice, butter, sugar and mixed spice, stirring to combine.
- Once melted, add the dried fruit. Mix well and simmer over medium heat, continuing to stir, for approximately 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the fruit. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 140°C/284°F (fan-forced) and lightly grease, then double line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper.
- When the fruit mixture has cooled, mix in the eggs, almond meal, and sift in the rice flour, tapioca flour and baking powder. The mixture will be quite thick and dense.
- Transfer the cake mix to the lined tin, and if you like, decorate the cake by placing the blanched almonds around the cake’s edge or feel free to create an elaborate design. Bake for 1.5 hours. I suggest checking the cake after 1 hour and if it seems to be getting too dark on top, cover loosely with foil.
- You can test the cake for readiness by inserting a skewer which will come out clean when the cake is done. Remove the cake from the oven and if you like, pierce all over carefully with a sharp skewer, then drizzle over the extra 2 tablespoons of brandy.
- If you would like to glaze the cake, simply melt together the 2 tablespoons of apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water in a small pot. Use a pastry brush to ‘paint’ the glaze over the top of the cake.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Serve
- I only slice what I need.
Store
- Tightly wrap the rest of the cake in baking paper, then a slightly damp tea towel or beeswax wrap before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. It will easily last for 2-3 weeks in the fridge (but never does!).
Variations
Dairy-free
You can use coconut oil in place of butter in this cake for a dairy free version.Loved this delicious Gluten-free Christmas Fruit Cake?! Let us know in the comments below….
Hi, I’m Kristin Cosgrove. I’m a mum, student of psychology and passionate whole foods cook. I love to share my love for simple, seasonal recipes and my modern approach to cooking for my family. I live on the Surf Coast with my husband and three children.
You can find me on Instagram at @kristinjcosgrove
Elendel McCasker says
Can it be cooked now and last till Christmas?
Georgia Harding says
I think 3 weeks is as long as I’d stretch it Elendel (stored as stated in the recipe). I’ve had it in the fridge for over a week now and it’s as good as the day I baked it G x
Michelle Kreti says
Could I substitute the GF for spelt flour in the same measurements?
Well Nourished Team says
Hi Michelle, thanks for your question, you can substitute spelt or plain flour but we would suggest reducing the amount to 1.5 cups in total (omitting the almond meal and also the tapioca. Let us know how it goes.
Michelle says
Thanks so much for your help!
I am happy to say that the whole wheat spelt worked beautifully. I actually still added the almond meal as above as the mixture was still more on the wetter side so the almond meal balanced that out perfectly.
I used a mixture of organic and sulfur free apricots, currants, sultanas and raisins. I didn’t have any brandy or rum for that matter and instead opted for a really beautiful whiskey aged in French oak so quite smooth.
This recipe was easy and so quick to whip up. I will make this more often now!
Georgia Harding says
Fabulous, so great to know the spelt version was a winner Michelle G x
Prue Dennis says
My GF and DF mum loved this. Said it was moist and tasty. I only cooked for an hour and it was perfect. I used sultanas raisins and apricots. It is the first Christmas cake I’ve ever made and was very easy.
Well Nourished Team says
So glad you (and your mum) enjoyed 🙂
Lea-Anne says
Wonderful recipe thanks! It was the first Christmas cake I’ve ever made as well and it was so easy and delicious. An hour and 5 mins was all ours needed in the oven. It isn’t going to last until Christmas! x
Well Nourished Team says
Hi Lea-Anne, so happy you enjoyed this recipe!