Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (2024)

Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (1)


Every year, for as long as I can remember, I've watched my Mum make her Christmas pudding.

The fruit soaks for weeks in a mix of brandy and sherry in her white two piece tupperware container that she's had since she was married. It's the perfect size to hold the mix of sultanas and mixed fruit that's left to soak up the alcohol and plump to perfection.

After the fruit soaked, the pudding process began. First the cloth is boiled in her big metal pudding pot that's only used once a year. The mixer is filled with butter and bread crumbs and sugar and flour and then finally the fruit mixture is added. Once the pudding cloth is boiled, she lays it out on the bench top and sprinkles it with flour, dumping the pudding mixture out of the mixer bowl and into the centre of the cloth ready to wrap it.

When I was about 8, I became the helper. Mum would wrap the pudding up, twisting and tying it until it was just rightand my little hands would grasp the cloth, holding it in place to Mum could carefully tie it with twine. As a child, this was the bestjob because it meant I "helped" to create everyone's favourite pudding.

Mum's pudding would them boil away for a few hours before being hung to dry on the coat hook in our laundry (weird place, possibly, but it's probably the safest and where she's always hung it!) where it would dry out and mature until Christmas day before being boiled for a few hours once again on Christmas day.

It's a classic recipe - but one that involved waaaaaaaaaytoo many steps and processes for me - so this recipe is wayeasier than that!

Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (3)

Four years ago, when I had my first gluten free Christmas, I wasdevastatedthat I couldn't eat myMum's Christmas Pudding. At the time, I couldn't even find gluten free bread crumbs in the shops and there was no way I wanted to make a giant pudding for just myself - so I got to experimenting.

I decided rather than a boiled pudding, I was going to go with a fruit cake - so for the last four years I've been perfecting that recipe. The ingredients have always been the same, but it's the ratios that I've changed - and this year, I've come up with the perfectratio.

You see, Jesse doesn't like my Mum's Christmas Pudding (but we try not to mention that :P) or any other Christmas Cakes/Fruit Cakes - but this year, he decided to try my fruit cake after seeing so much of it cooling in the kitchen....

And then an entire mini fruit cake disappeared.

This fruit cake is soeasy and so delicious that even my fruit cake hating husband lovesit - and did I mention it has just threeingredients?

But let me give you the recipe so that you can make it yourself! >>

Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (5)

The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar

recipe makes 1 large thick fruit cake or 6-8x 6" individual fruit cakes (see notes for smaller batches)

no added sugar, low fat/no added fat, gluten free, vegan, egg free, dairy free

1kg mixed fruit ordried fruit of your choice (see notes)

3 cups boiling water

3 cups (360g) gluten free self raising flour

  • Soak your fruit in your boiling water either overnight or for a few hours, covering your boil/container to trap the steam. If I forget to soak mine overnight, I'll simply start soaking it in the morning and make the fruit cake that afternoon.
  • Once your fruit has soaked, preheat your oven to 125C/260F.
  • Grease and/or line a large (~9-10") cake tin or 6-8 individual cake tins (we used small 5-6" cake tins so that we could share them with friends) and set aside.
  • Mix your soaked fruit mixture with your flour, mixing until just combined.
  • Pour your cake mixture into your tin(s), smoothing the surface with a spoon or spatula.
  • Bake for 1 hour (for individual cakes) to 2 1/2 hours (for one larger cake) or until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake removes clean.
  • Leave to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. The cake will keep for 3-4 weeks at room temperature, however, we always store ours in the fridge just to be safe.

Notes:

  • I can't eat citrus so mixed fruit is a no-no for me. In my fruit cake I used 500g chopped dried dates, 250g currants and 250g raisins.
  • You may substitute some of the water with alcohol if you want a more traditional fruit cake!
  • Smaller batches
    To make one regular sized cake: 500g mixed fruit/dried fruit of your choice, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups (180g) gluten free self raising flour

--

Chocolate desserts more your style? Click here for my 4 Ingredient Chocolate Fruit Cake Recipe.

--

But tell me, does your family have any Christmas food traditions?

What's your favourite Christmas dessert?

Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (7)Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (8)Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (9)

Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (10)Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (11)Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (12) Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (13)Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (14)

Recipe: The Easiest Gluten Free & Vegan Fruit Cake with No Added Sugar (2024)

FAQs

How to make gluten-free more moist? ›

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

How to stop gluten-free cakes from crumbling? ›

One of the most common gluten-free baking tips is “let your batter rest”. Letting the batter rest gives the gluten-free flours and starches more time to absorb the moisture. In theory, it will turn your dry, crumbly cakes into delicious, moist masterpieces.

What is a secret ingredient for cakes? ›

Mayonnaise: The Hidden Gem in Cake Recipes

Made up of eggs and oil, mayonnaise acts as an emulsifier, adding creaminess and moisture to your cake. This unexpected addition can take your cake recipes to a whole new level. To incorporate mayonnaise into your cake batter, simply add a couple of tablespoons to the mix.

How to keep gluten-free cakes moist? ›

Gluten-free oats and oat flours add texture, which works well in biscuits and breakfast muffins. Ground almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts are ideal in a blend for dense cakes, traybakes and biscuits. Polenta has a grainy texture, but is very absorbent and so brings moisture to cakes.

What is the hardest thing to make gluten-free? ›

gluten free.

What is the secret to gluten free baking? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

Should gluten free cake batter rest before baking? ›

Let Your Batters & Doughs Rest

We recommend covering your batters and doughs and letting them rest for at least half an hour. Note: This will also help batters become thicker and doughs to firm up.

Do gluten free cakes need to bake longer? ›

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture. The best way to do this? Longer baking times.

Do gluten free cakes need more baking powder? ›

2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.

Which 2 ingredients help the cake to rise? ›

Firstly, you need to mix your baking powder/bicarbonate of soda through your flour before you add this to the mixture. These two ingredients are the most common raising agents in baking, so I've focused on them here (also make sure they are in date!).

What is the main ingredient that makes a cake moist? ›

USE VEGETABLE OIL. While butter undoubtedly imparts excellent flavor, vegetable oil can really elevate a cake when it comes to moisture. Replacing butter with vegetable oil in your cake recipes typically yields moist results.

What is the most important ingredient in a cake? ›

Flour is perhaps the most important ingredient in a cake mix, as it creates the basic structure of the entire cake. A major component of flour is gluten, which is a protein that provides a way for the cake to bind to itself.

What helps gluten-free cakes rise? ›

Gluten-free flour blends don't have the same elasticity as flour containing gluten so often the cakes don't rise as much or will sink after rising. To combat the flat cake problem, I add ½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda to the recipe even when using a self-raising gluten-free flour blend.

How do bakeries get their cakes so moist? ›

Jump to:
  1. Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
  2. Add Vegetable Oil.
  3. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
  4. Use the Right Recipe.
  5. Don't Overbake.
  6. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
  7. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Apr 23, 2021

Why are my gluten-free cakes so dense? ›

If gluten-free cakes aren't falling apart, they often turn out heavy and unpleasantly dense. That's because gluten creates little pockets of air, so baked goods turn out springy and fluffy; gluten-free flours and grains are lacking this crucial element.

How do you add moisture to gluten free bread? ›

Honey and agave as a sugar substitute can enhance moisture as well, but be aware that you should cut down slightly on the other liquids you are using in the recipe, as honey and agave are not solid ingredients. Adding an extra egg or oil can also help, but use caution.

How to moisten gluten-free dough? ›

To add extra moisture to your gluten-free bread, incorporate 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise into the recipe. The oil and eggs will help to make the baked bread nice and tender. Olive oil is a healthy cooking oil that adds wonderful flavor to bread. It also adds moisture, creates a tender texture, and extends shelf-life.

How do you make gluten-free dessert less dry? ›

Moisture – for some reason gluten-free cakes tend to get a little dry. Any gluten-free cake will dry out super-fast and get hard on the outside if it's not properly refrigerated and covered. I swear by always using buttermilk and adding a little more fat into the batter to compensate for the dryness.

What to do if gluten-free dough is too dry? ›

Dry, crumbly loaf- you may need more liquid (see above), fat or binder. Gluten free bread dough needs more fat than wheat bread dough whether it's oil, butter or something else. So if your bread is dry, simply add more fat to get a better crumb.

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