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ALLERGY FREE CHRISTMAS CAKE

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Serves: About 20 serves.

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  • Gluten Free
  • Vegetarian
What does this mean?

Based on Nigella's Easy Action Xmas cake, but adapted for my clients with food sensitivities, and chestnut puree not found in NZ. Probably changed so much she won't recognize it, but it has been a wonderful base and is so forgiving of any changes - everybody loves it!

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Ingredients

  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup brandy (or rum or extra water)
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 6 oz butter (or coconut oil)
  • 1 cup shakkar
  • 2 teaspoons mixed spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2.2 lb mixed dried fruit
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • ½ cup white rice flour
  • ½ cup arrowroot (gluten free version)
  • 2 teaspoons pectin
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 small eggs

Method

  1. Finely chop the dried fruit.Take a large pan, and melt together the first 9 ingredients. Add the fruit & simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring often, till the fruit has soaked up all the liquid (though some of the oil may not soak up, especially if using coconut oil). Leave to stand for 30 minutes, while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
  2. The full recipe fills an 8" x 8" (20cm x 20cm) square tin, or make a half-mix & bake in a loaf tin. Line tin with a double layer of brown paper, which comes to about double the height of the tin. Then line with a double layer of baking paper.
  3. Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. Beat up the eggs.
  4. When the fruit mix has cooled to lukewarm, stir through the beaten egg. Then stir through the dry ingredients. The mixture should be a thick batter and quite hard to stir. If it's too runny, add a little more rice flour, arrowroot or coconut flour. Spoon the mixture into the pan, and bake at 150C for 1.3/4 - 2 hours for the full recipe, or 1.1/2- 1.3/4 for the half recipe. Use the usual skewer test, or listen - when it stops sizzling, it's ready.
  5. (Optional: Before cooling, pierce small holes in the top of the cake with a skewer, then carefully pour 2 Tbls brandy over the top).
  6. Cool completely before removing from tin. Wrap in some baking or greaseproof paper, then in a tea towel and store in the bottom of the fridge.

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