Welcome to my 'Simple and Yummy' Gluten Free recipes: Gluten and Lactose Free Celebration Fruit Cake

As the season of ‘Good Will’ creeps ever closer and as Father Christmas girds his loins for yet another foray into the world of problem chimneyless houses I thought it might be a good time to share my recipe for my delicious and fairly easy Gluten and Lactose Free Celebration Fruit Cake. (7inch/18cm tin)

8oz/225gm sultanas

8oz/225gm raisins

6oz/170gm glace cherries, halved

4oz/115gm chopped dates

Zest and juice of 1 orange

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

4oz/115gm flaked almonds (these can be toasted first)

2 tablespoons rum (optional)

Soak fruit overnight.

Soak the above ingredients overnight in a large bowl, adding more orange juice or water as the fruit soaks up the moisture. (The more liquid you can instil into the fruit the moister the finished cake will be.) Stir occasionally.

It’s a good idea to prepare the tin at this stage then it’s ready to roll when you are. Grease a 7inch/18cm tin and line the sides and bottom with a double layer of baking parchment (or greaseproof, but I find parchment peels off easier). Wrap a double layer of news/brown paper around the outside of the tin and secure with string. (This helps to prevent the sides from burning during the long baking!) 

Line tin with double baking parchment.

And wrap tin with brown/newspaper.

When the fruit mixture is well and truly scrumptiously soaked (it smells delish, with or without the rum!) it’s time to assemble the rest of the ingredients. You’ll need:

6ozs/170gm marg

6oz/170gm soft brown sugar (the molasses one gives a lovely deep aroma and taste)

1 desert spoon black treacle

3 lg eggs

4oz/115gm gluten free self-raising flour (I use Doves Farm)

6oz/170gm gluten free plain flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Grated nutmeg

Half teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon almond extract

Cream marg, sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time with a spoonful of flour and beat well. Mix in half the remaining flour with half the fruit mixture, nutmeg, and cinnamon and stir well. Add the remaining flour and fruit mixture and combine gently.

Smooth mixture into tin.

Spoon into the prepared tin, make a small dip in the centre (this hopefully prevents the cake from rising too much) and bake at 150^o (conventional oven) for 3¹/₂ to 4hrs. Test occasionally after 3¹/₂hrs by sticking a skewer or thin knife into the middle of the cake and if it comes out ‘clean’ the cake is cooked, if there is still ‘sticky’ cake mix clinging to the skewer it needs more cooking time.

If the cake is browning too quickly on the top cover with a piece of greaseproof paper.

When cooked, leave in the tin to cool slightly, then remove and cool completely before wrapping in foil and keeping in an airtight container. (I leave the baking parchment on at this stage.)

If required the cake can be ‘fed’ with more rum a couple of times before the marzipan stage. Remove the parchment, level the top if necessary by slicing off the lumpy bits with a knife (this also gives the chance to taste the treat to come!!). Poke the top all over with a skewer and dribble in the rum. (Keep the cake wrapped and in its airtight container.)

To marzipan, cover the cake with a thin layer of apricot jam, roll out the marzipan and smooth onto the cake. (I find this the most difficult part as I’m a self-confessed marzipan addict and my better half doesn’t allow me to buy the stuff until I need it otherwise I’ve eaten it all before it gets on the cake!!). Of course you can make it yourself if you so desire.

To finish your masterpiece, roll out fondant icing (bought in a packet, at the same time as the marzipan) and smooth onto the cake and decorate to your taste!

I have recently discovered an establishment called The Icing Tip, which is situated in our local market, which sells small amounts of ready coloured icing for decorating purposes. Apparently liquid colouring changes the texture of fondant icing, so it is well worth searchnig out such a product as it is really easy to use.

Hope this recipe is useful. I have used it a lot for birthday and Christmas cakes, producing, even though I say’s it as shouldn’t, excellent results. (I can hear my long departed mother saying, ‘Self-praise is no praise at all, my girl’!)

Happy Gluten Free Celebration Eating! Thanks for visiting The Rustic Oven. Here's a couple of my modest achievements this year!

A special cake!

Check out my Gluten Free recipes on Annie's Rustic Oven for Cheese Scones, Fruit Scones, Victoria Sponge, Fruit Squares and a stress free way of making Gluten Free Short Crust Pastry.  

Rustic Annie xx