A lighter Christmas fruitcake that goes easy on the dried fruit and added sugar. Gluten free, low sugar and delicious. One bowl, simple, yum. Recipe adapted from River Cottage Gluten Free by Naomi Devlin.
- 800 g (28 oz) low sugar mincemeat (see Notes for my recipe*)
- 4 tablespoons brandy (optional, for overnight soaking)
- 250 g (2 sticks + 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, soft
- 100 g (1/2 cup) xylitol (or 50g/1/4 cup Natvia)
- 150 g (1 1/4 cups) ground almonds (almond meal)
- 100 g (1 cup) sorghum flour
- 100 g (1 cup) buckwheat flour
- 1 tablespoon mixed spice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons (gluten free) baking powder
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- zest and juice of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon brandy (use another tablespoon of orange juice for alcohol free)
- marzipan and/or fondant icing, or whipped coconut cream, to frost
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If soaking the mincemeat, stir with the brandy in a large bowl and leave at room temperature to soak for at least 1 1/2 hours or overnight.
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Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas 4, and carefully grease and line a 20cm (8") round deep cake tin.
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Beat the butter with the xylitol for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy, then stir through the rest of the ingredients. Add the mincemeat (if you like your fruitcake dark and deep, add an extra handful of raisins) and mix well until combined, then spoon the batter into the cake tin and bake for 30 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 160C/325F/gas 3 and bake for another 1 hour-1 1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If at any point while baking the cake starts to catch but isn't cooked through, cover with foil. Allow the cake to cool slightly, then pierce all over with a skewer and spoon over the brandy. Allow to cool completely, then ice and decorate how you want, or wrap tightly in baking paper and tin foil and keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
*find my simple low carb mincemeat recipe here