Luxury Gluten Free Christmas Cake - Recipe

• Make weeks ahead to save time and stress!
• Can easily be mixed by hand.
• Makes a 20cm/8inch deep round cake.

Ingredients    Organic Mixed Vine Fruit 1kg (Sussex Wholefoods) 700g Mixed Vine Fruit    Organic Candied Orange Peel 500g (Sussex Wholefoods) 85g Candied Orange Peel    Organic Candied Lemon Peel 500g (Sussex Wholefoods) 85g Candied Lemon Peel    Organic Apricots 500g (Sussex Wholefoods) 130g Dried Apricots, chopped roughly into small pieces.    Gluten Free Plain White Flour 1kg (Freee by Doves Farm) 140g Plain Gluten Free Flour    Ground Almonds 1kg (Sussex Wholefoods) 100g Ground Almonds    Organic Almonds 500g (Sussex Wholefoods) 140g Whole Almonds    Organic Coconut Sugar 1kg (Sussex Wholefoods) 250g Coconut Sugar    Premium Madagascan Vanilla Pods 2pk (Hampshire Foods) The seeds from two Vanilla Pods    Gluten Free Baking Powder 130g (Freee by Doves Farm) ½ tsp of Baking Powder

Other Ingredients

• 150ml best quality sweet sherry (We used Pedro Ximenez), plus extra for 'feeding'*.
• 250g unsalted butter, cut into cubes.
• Juice and zest of 2 large oranges.
• 4 large eggs, beaten.

Method

1. Double line your cake tin with grease proof paper/baking parchment and a skirt of brown parcel paper tied with string. Ensure both the grease proof paper and the brown paper are double the height of the cake tin to help prevent the sides and top from burning/becoming too dark whilst baking.
2. Put the Mixed Vine Fruit, Candied Orange Peel, Candied Lemon Peel, Apricots, Coconut Sugar, Butter, Orange Zest, Orange Juice, Sherry, Mixed Spice and Vanilla seeds into a large wide-based saucepan.
3. Bring to a simmer and stir gently allowing the butter to melt and the flavours to infuse. Simmer for around 10 minutes.
4. Transfer into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Stir a few times to help with cooling.
5. In the meantime, pre-heat the oven to 150°c Fan/ Gas Mark 3.
6. Then stir in the flour, ground almonds, whole almonds and baking powder and finally the beaten eggs.
7. Combine thoroughly and pour gently into your cake tin.
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1½ hrs and then reduce the heat to 140°c Fan/ Gas Mark 2 and continue to bake for a further 1½ hrs or until a skewer comes out a little sticky when inserted into the centre of the cake and the surface has developed small cracks.
9. Once a fortnight 'feed' the cake with the sweet sherry. Using a skewer make several holes into the cake and gently pour over a little rum. Allow this to sink in and repeat. We used a disposable pipette to aid this process.
10. The cake can be covered in marzipan and/or icing immediately if you need it or in a few weeks depending on the timing of your celebration.