Gluten Free Christmas Cake

Gluten Free Christmas Cake

I found this recipe while searching for a cake to bake for someone who has to have a gluten free diet.  Sourced from http://www.geniusglutenfree.com/en_GB/why-genius

As usual I have played around with the recipe and used the ingredients in my kitchen.  Baking is all about being creative and the end result is what matters.  It tastes good and smells good and I hope you enjoy it too.  Merry Christmas.

The Recipe:

450 gms mixed fruit ( I used a combination of mixed fruits that I had soaked last year in whisky)

For flour use the following:  30 gms rice flour; 15 gms cornflour; 15 gms almond meal; 1 tsp cinnamon powder.

80 gms almond nibs; 125 gms soft brown sugar; 125 gms salted butter; rind of 1 lemon; juice of 1 lemon ( I added this because none of us like treacle).

 Preheat oven to 150 C.  Grease and line a 9”  square pan (bottom and all round.  Cut an extra square for the top later on.

If you do not have pre soaked fruits, soak the above fruits overnight in 2 tbsp of alcohol.   Next day add in the lemon rind and juice and almonds.  Mix well and keep aside.

Beat the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon together until pale and fluffy.  Add in the eggs one by one.  If the mixture curdles add  a tsp  of the flour.  Gently fold in the rest of the flour maintaining a flowing consistency with a little water if required (the mixture should not be too stiff).  

Add the fruits and stir to combine.  Do not mix it vigourously as the cake will be very heavy due to loss of air.

Secure a layer of brown paper around the outside of the tin with string, extending 5cm above the tin.

Cover the top of the cake with the extra square and make a hole in the centre to allow the steam to escape.

Bake for 3 ½ - 4 hours. Do not open the oven door until the cake has been cooking for 3 hours or it may collapse.

Read a book or exercise or watch your favourite programme on tv while the cake bakes.  It is a very slow process believe me.  You could even take a nap!

Remove the greaseproof paper, cover and allow the cake to brown for the last half an hour. The cake is cooked when the cake is evenly browned on top, feels firm in the centre and a skewer, inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out clean.

Turn the cake out of the tin and allow to cool in its lining paper on a wire rack.   Store in an air tight container.

NB:  I used foil pans to bake this cake and it has turned out too good to be true.