Revisiting my versatile Christmas cake recipe for special diets

Deb January 4, 2019

I have previously posted about this cake here, but now seems like a good time to put all the versions together in one place.

This is a beautiful dark cake, but because it’s a boiled cake, you don’t need to mature it for a month. If you want to use the brandy version and store in the bottom of the fridge for a month, it will improve with maturing, but can be eaten the same day, and still be delicious.

The original recipe came from Nigella Lawson, and although I have made a gazillion changes to it, it is still moist and delicious. I like to think it still has her spirit of largesse and joy.

It can be made free of gluten, starch, sugar, dairy, nuts or eggs. It’s not as easy to make it low carb, low sugar or FODMAPS free but there are some suggestions below.

Gluten free version

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup brandy, rum or extra water
  • Juice of one orange
  • Rind of the orange, plus rind of a lemon, finely grated
  • 170g butter (or coconut oil will also work)
  • 1 cup coconut sugar, rapadura, muscavado, shakkar or other unrefined sugar (optional, I leave it out and find it sweet enough)
  • 2 tsp mixed spice & 1 tsp ginger
  • 900g-1kg dried fruit. (Use a packeted mix, or choose your own mix, eg: 250g raisins, 250g sultanas, 150g prunes, 150g figs, 100g dates, 100g cherries)
  • 1 cup ground almonds
  • 1 cup gluten free mix of your choice eg:
    • 1/2 cup white rice flour
    • 1/2 cup arrowroot or tapioca starch
    • 2 tsp pectin, guar gum or xanthan gum (optional, it works ok without the gums)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 large or 4 small eggs

I like to give the raisins and sultanas a thorough stirring first to find any stray stalks that are still there. This can take a few minutes of stirring, removing stalks, stirring again, etc but I think worth it to not crunch on a stalk. Finely chop the rest of the fruit. Take a large pan, and melt together the water, brandy, orange juice, citrus rinds, butter or coconut oil, sugar and spices.

Add the fruit to the pan & simmer for 5-10 mins, stirring often, till the fruit has soaked up all the liquid. There may be some of the fat not soaked in, that’s ok. Leave to stand for 30 mins, stirring periodically, while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

The full recipe fills a 8” x 8” (20cm x 20cm) square tin. Line tin with a double layer of brown paper, which comes to about double the height of the tin. Then line with a double layer of baking paper.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. Beat up the eggs in a medium sized bowl.

When the fruit mix has cooled to lukewarm, stir the beaten egg through. Then mix in the dry ingredients. The mixture should be a thick batter and quite hard to stir. If it’s too runny, add a little more flour. Spoon the mixture into the pan, press it down firmly and bake at 150C for 1.75 – 2 hours.

Use the usual skewer test, or listen – when it stops sizzling, it’s ready. Cool completely before removing from tin. Wrap in some baking or greaseproof paper, then in a teatowel and store in the bottom of the fridge. It’s easiest to cut when it’s cold, straight out of the fridge, then nicest to eat at room temperature (if you can wait that long).

Starch free version

To make a cake that is compatible with the SCD or GAPS diets, make the following adjustments:

  • Replace the brandy with water
  • Omit the sugar. (Or stir in a little honey after the fruit has finished simmering, but it’s not needed.)
  • Replace the white rice flour and arrowroot with 1/2 cup coconut flour (it soaks up more liquid than other flours, so less is needed)
  • Omit the pectin / gum
  • If you’re being very strict, you can omit the baking soda, but for most people that small amount is ok

Dairy free version

  • The coconut oil option works fine for dairy free

Egg free version

  • If you need to leave out the eggs, it will still work, it will just be a bit heavier and more crumbly. Let it cool completely before taking out of the tin.
  • If you’re experienced with using flax or chia eggs, make your usual substitution.
  • Or try dissolving a couple of teaspoons of gelatin in the water and juice, before adding the fruit. It’s on my list to see how this works. Here’s a comprehensive description of how to use gelatin to replace eggs.

Nut free version

  • I haven’t tried replacing the ground almonds with anything else. But this is such a versatile recipe, you can probably use a different flour. It will just be a bit lighter than your usual Xmas cake. I’d do a test run beforehand, just in case.

Diabetic / Low Sugar / Low Carb / FODMAPs version

To be honest, no Christmas cake is going to be optimal for this range of diets. But if you’re really hankering for a fruit cake, these changes will reduce the dangers a bit.

  • Make the starch free version
  • Omit the sugar and the alcohol.
  • You can probably use water instead of the orange juice as well, and maybe add a few drops of orange or lemon essential oil, as well or instead of the zest.
  • Figs are a good FODMAP option for Xmas. Or look for other low FODMAPS dried fruit like berries. I haven’t tried freeze dried fruit in a recipe like this, so if you wanted to do that, you need to test a small version ahead of time.
  • Make a smaller batch and use the mini muffin version below. Then keep them in the freezer and take out when desired.

Or you can try my (originally Nigella’s) Xmas morning muffin recipe for a lower fruit / FODMAPS option. Again, you could try replacing the orange juice with water and orange essential oil for the orange flavour, to reduce the carbs a tad (not tested by me). For FODMAPS, replace the honey with maple syrup or other low FODMAPS sweetener

Different sizes

I often make a variety of different sizes, as gifts, or for different events.

  • A half size mix takes 1.5 – 1.75 hours to cook
  • The stars shown above take about 50 to 60 minutes
  • Muffin size takes about 45 minutes
  • Mini muffins take 30 to 35 minutes.These are great for taking to an event. Or for storing in the freezer for later. They are very easy to make if you have a silicon mold. I have one that does 24.

Icing

  • I don’t usually bother with marzipan and icing. If they are already a decorative shape, they are festive looking enough.
  • When I’ve made a square or loaf shaped cake for Xmas with my (Std NZ diet) family, they often insist on icing. I usually just buy std marzipan and royal icing from the supermarket – it’s only one day of the year, after all.
  • Or I’ve used pre-made cake decorations made from icing (search online for “christmas sugar icing decorations”).
  • If you prefer to make your own almond icing, there’s a recipe here. Still full of sugar, but at least you know there’s no other dodgy stuff in there.
  • If your family are on special diets, and are hankering for marzipan icing, here is a recipe for honey marzipan from the Paleo Mom.
  • Here is a version made with maple syrup and no egg whites. I’ve tried this one – it’s easy, and suitable for WAPF & Paleo diets, though not GAPS.