Gluten-Free Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients

1 cup Cinderella Raisins (150g)

1 cup Cinderella Apricots, chopped (150g)

¾ cup Cinderella Dates, chopped (100g)

100g butter, salted

⅔ cup orange juice*

½ cup coconut sugar

4 eggs

2 tbsp Cinderella Date Syrup

2 tbsp orange zest or mixed peel

1 ½ cup Cinderella Almond Meal

⅓ cup tapioca flour**

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¾ cup Cinderella Walnuts, halved

Other optional additions: almonds, glace cherries, crystallised ginger

Orange drizzle after baking:

⅓ cup orange juice

3 tsp granulated sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (convection bake). Line a 22cm cake tin with two layers of baking paper.
2. In a large microwave safe bowl or in a pot, add the dried fruits, butter, orange juice and sugar. Mix well then microwave in 30 second increments for 2 minutes, mixing in between. Alternatively, cook for 5 minutes on the stovetop, stirring continuously on a low-medium heat.
3. Let this mixture sit for 15 minutes, or in the fridge. This allows the mixture to thicken and for the fruit to be hydrated.
4. In small bowl, add the eggs, date syrup and zest or mixed peel. Combine well, then pour into the fruit mixture and mix again.
5. In another bowl, add the almond meal, tapioca flour, baking powder and ground spices.  Fold this into the wet fruit mixture. Add in the walnuts, or any other additions and mix well. Let this mixture sit for 2 minutes before transferring to your cake tin.
6. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and top with whole almonds if desired. Cover the top with tinfoil. Place on the middle rack of your oven.
7. Cook for 60 minutes with tinfoil, then a further 50 minutes without tinfoil – for a combined time of 1 hour 50 minutes in the oven. A knife should come out clean.
8. In the last 10 minutes while the cake is cooking, make the orange drizzle. Combine the orange juice and sugar in a pot, heat on a low-medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
9. Take the cake out of the oven and, using a toothpick, poke 12 holes into the top of the cake. Pour the heated drizzle mixture into the holes and brush any remaining liquid over the top. If desired, brush cake with brandy instead.
10. Once completely cooled, store the cake by wrapping it in two layers of baking paper, then a further two layers of tinfoil. The flavour develops with a few days. Option to store any extra cake in an airtight container in the freezer.

To switch it up:

* Add 1/3 cup brandy and 1/3 orange juice to soak the dried fruit.

Swap it out:

** Swap out tapioca flour for a gluten-free 1-1 regular flour.

A recipe by @feedinglara

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