Nana Jones’s Christmas Cake

Preparation Time: 30+ minutes, plus fruit soaking time

Baking Time: Approximately 4 hours

Serves: 10+

Dietary Suitability: Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Vegetarian

Rating:  10/10

Ingredients:

• 250g raisins, chopped
• 250g sultanas
• 250g currants
• 125g glace cherries, chopped
• 125g mixed peel
• 1 dried fig, chopped
• 125g blanched almonds
• 1 cup brandy (or orange juice)
• 1 ½ cups gluten free self-raising flour
• 1 ½ cups almond meal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 250g butter
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 2 tbs dark jam or marmalade
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 4 eggs
• Roll out marzipan (check the label for GF)
• Roll out white icing (check the label for GF)

Method:

1. In a large bowl combine all of the fruit and almonds and the brandy. Cover and soak fruit at least overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 150C.
3. Beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, add the jam and vanilla and beat again.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Add the flour, almond meal, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and mixed spice, combine gently, but thoroughly.
6. Pour into a 20cm round cake tin, double lined with foil and then with baking paper.
7. Place in a slow oven and bake for approximately 4 hours. Be sure to check every 30 minutes to ensure a moist cake. When a skewer comes out cleanly it is cooked, cool in the tin.
8. When completely cold and close to serving time it is time the fun part, decorating! Brush cake with slightly warmed apricot jam, roll out marzipan between baking paper to approximately 3-5mm thick, cover the cake and smooth out any bumps. This step should stop the cake discolouring the icing, but it can be skipped.
9. Roll out white prepared icing between sheets of baking paper approximately 3-5mm thick, cover the marzipan. Smooth out. Trim around cake base with knife.
10. Roll out extra icing, cut out shapes with a cookie cutter to decorate. I used stars, add your own decorating touches. 

Store: In an airtight container, icing will discolour so ice the day before serving.

Freezes: Quite well

Low Fat/KJ Option: Forget about calories, it’s Christmas!

Critique: The gluten free alteration was easy and effective as the cake is mainly fruit and brandy. It stays as moist as the original but you don’t quite get the rise that you would with wheat flour.

Inspiration: This is the recipe is based on the one my beautiful Nanna used to make. It has had a few tweaks to make it gluten free. It is moist, dense and delicious.