If I’d known you were coming …. (for Christmas) I’d have baked a cake.  

This is the gluten free cake recipe that I made so chaotically on insta!

I’ll admit I’m not the world’s greatest baker (although I do love to cook, make preserves and flavoured spirits, oils and vinegars). Luckily though, I’m married to a very good baker, Sam Farmer (@samdfarmer – www.samfarmer.co) who held my hand while I made this, not literally obviously, otherwise I’d have been in even more trouble!

I’m a coeliac so GF cooking is an everyday part of daily life but this would work as well with non-GF flour, baking soda and omitting the Xanthan gum.

Should you make this cake - PLEASE share a picture as I’d love to see your creativity, mine was a bit hit and miss but I bet lots of you are good bakers and cake decorators… if, like me, it’s more about the fun and having a go, that’s lovely too.

Love

CQ 

xxx

 Ingredients

650g Mixed fruit and peel

2 Oranges

5-8 tbsp Brandy

200g Soft Light or Dark Brown Sugar

200g Unsalted Butter

4 Eggs

125g Gluten Free Self raising Flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 Xanthan gum (not essential)

small pinch of ground ginger

large pinch of ground nutmeg

2 tsp Mixed Spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

100g Ground Almonds

pinch Maldon Sea Salt

To Decorate

Plum Jam (Preferably Home Made)

Marzipan

Fondant Icing

Decorations

Method

Double line a 20cm cake tin inside and outside (greasing on the inside) with non stick baking paper. Leave a few cm at the top in case the cake rises above the tin.

The night before you want to make the cake, use the zest of one orange and the juice of both to soak the mixed fruit with 3-5 tbsp brandy. Cover and leave at room temperature.

Pre heat the oven to 150C/130Fan

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer.  It takes a few minutes until the mixture is pale and light then add the eggs (slightly beaten together beforehand) a little at a time making sure each addition is well mixed before adding any more. 

Into the mixture sift in the flour, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, spices and gently fold in the ground almonds then add and fold in the soaked fruit.

Pour into the cake tin and put it in the oven for around 3 ½ hours or until a skewer comes out clean. Keep an eye on the cake and, if it’s browning too quickly, place some baking parchment over the top.

Leave on a cooling rack and then poke some holes in the top with the skewer, pouring the last 1-3 tbsp of brandy over the cake.

Turn out the cake and when cool spread a little jam like rindless Marmalade or Apricot, in this recipe I used home-made plum jam as that’s all I had. Roll out the marzipan and use the bottom of the cake tin as a template and cut a circle to place on the top of the cake before covering in fondant icing to your taste.

Decorate with Christmassy glee.