Gluten-free Christmas cake
Cooking time – 1 hour
Ingredients
125g (4 oz.) glaće pineapple
125g (4 oz.) glaće apricots
250g (8 oz.) pitted dates
125g (4 oz.) mixed coloured glace cherries, left whole
125g (4 oz.) blanched almonds
125g (4 oz.) brazil nuts
125g (4 oz.) pecans
2 eggs
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 Tbsp cherry brandy
90g (3 oz.) very soft butter or salt reduced monounsaturated margarine
⅓ cup Orgran Self Raising Flour
⅓ cup Orgran All Purpose Plain Flour
2 Tbsp Orgran Custard Mix
125g (4 oz.) mixed coloured glaće cherries, extra, cut in half, to decorate top of cake
125g (4 oz.) blanched almonds, extra, cut in half, to decorate top of cake
2 Tbsp cherry brandy, extra, to pour over cake after cooking
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F).
2. Prepare a 23cm x 10cm (9” x 4”) loaf tin by spraying with cooking spray. Line bottom of tin with baking paper.
3. Chop pineapple and apricots into large pieces.
4. Leave dates, cherries and nuts whole.
5. Place fruit and nuts into a large bowl. Mix well together.
6. Place eggs and sugar into a separate bowl. Beat until thick and creamy. Add vanilla, cherry brandy and butter. Beat well.
7. Sift flours and custard mix into a medium sized bowl. Stir fruit and nuts and sifted flours alternately into creamed mixture.
8. Press mixture firmly into prepared tin.
9. Decorate top of cake with glaće cherries and almonds.
10. Place into a moderately slow oven and bake for approximately 60 minutes or until cooked when tested.
11. When cooked, remove from oven.
12. While cake is still warm, pour extra brandy over cake.
13. Leave in tin for 15 minutes before turning out.
14. Wrap immediately in plastic wrap. This seals the flavours in the cake.
15. When cold, store in the refrigerator.
