Julia’s Wheat & Gluten Free Fruit Cake

 

Ingredients

 

♥  6 ozs / 170g sultanas

♥  6 ozs / 170g mixed dried fruit

♥  2 tablespoons Cointreau (or, mix brandy and orange juice)

♥  5 ozs / 142g marge / butter

♥  3 ozs / 85g caster sugar

♥  3 medium free range eggs

♥  8 ozs / 227g wheat free self-raising flour

♥  1 teaspoon xanthan gum

♥  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

♥  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

♥  1 tablespoon milk (soya or dairy)

♥  Pinch salt

 

Method

 

1. Soak the dried fruit in the Cointreau. (If the fruit’s not organic, I would always wash it thoroughly first and dry it as much as possible.)  Leave the fruit soaking. (If you’re organised, you can do this the night before.)
2. Heat the oven to around 150ºC.
3. Cream the fat and sugar together.
4. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk well.
5. Add the eggs to the creamed mixture a little at a time. Whisk well. (Don’t worry if it curdles, this will change when you add the flour.)
6. Add the flour a little at a time. Whisk-add-whisk etc.
7. Add the the salt, xanthan gum, spices and milk. Whisk well.
8. Stir in the fruit.
9. I’ve found that wheat-free cake mixtures are often thicker than wheat-based, but if you think it’s too thick, you can add a little more milk at this stage.
10. Set your timer for 70 mins. Bake in the lower-middle of the oven for 30 mins. Then, take the cake out and cover it. Bake for another 30 mins. Then uncover and bake for about 10 mins. Check the cake regularly - I have been known to turn the oven down to about 140ºC or less and move the cake to the lower shelf for the final 10-20 minutes. Use your best judgement. The ‘clean skewer’ test will tell you if it’s done or not.  (The cake in the picture is split at the top - this was baked without covering.)