Gluten-Free Vegan Fruit Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Fruit Cake is seriously moist, slightly boozy, beautifully fragrant and not overly sweet! It’s honestly undetectably vegan and gluten-free and has an almost melt-in-your-mouth texture reminiscent of stollen. Unlike a lot of other gluten-free cakes, this one definitely doesn’t dry out quickly, as the fruit keeps it moist for a long time and the flavour actually improves over time. This means it’s perfect for Christmas, gifting, or making in advance when entertaining guests.

How to make this Gluten-Free Vegan Fruit Cake

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

• Place chopped dried fruits, walnuts and spices in a bowl and add sherry/brandy until covered.

Tip: Leave to soak in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

• Mix together all the ingredients in a glass mixing bowl, using a measuring jug to measure out the plant-based milk.

• Transfer the batter to a one-pound loaf tin.

Tip: Make sure to line the loaf tin with greased baking paper – this will make removing the bread from the tin so much easier!

• Sprinkle over flaked almonds to decorate, if desired.

• Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

• Remove from the loaf tin and leave to cool on a cooling rack before slicing.

How long does this Gluten-Free Vegan Fruit Cake keep for?

This Fruit Cake keeps covered in the fridge for a few days.

Substitutions you can make to this recipe:

• You can use any type of dried fruit: I used a mixture of dates, cranberries, dried figs, prunes and dried apricots, but you can also use raisins, sultanas, sour cherries, mango, papaya or pineapple.
• You can replace the alcohol with orange juice or apple juice.
• You can replace the chopped walnuts with pecan nuts.
• You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil.
• You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
• You can replace the ground almonds with ground walnuts.
• For a nut-free version: replace the ground walnuts with ground sunflower seeds and use a nut-free plant-based milk.
• You can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you’re not gluten-free.
• This is definitely not as sweet as a traditional fruit cake. If you prefer a sweeter cake, add 4 tablespoons of sweetener of choice, such as maple syrup.

More fruity vegan desserts:

• Cherry Bakewell Cake
• Blueberry Pie
• Apple Cake
• Fig Upside Down Cake
• Chocolate Orange Cake
• Raspberry Dark Chocolate Blondies

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make this recipe:

Gluten-Free Vegan Fruit Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Fruit Cake is seriously moist, slightly boozy, beautifully fragrant and not overly sweet!

4.28 from 22 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Keyword: gluten-free fruit cake, vegan christmas cake, vegan fruit cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 10 slices

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

• ▢ 200 g (1 cup) dried fruit , finely chopped (I used a mixture of dates, dried cranberries, dried figs, prunes and dried apricots, but you can use whatever dried fruit mix you like)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unwaxed orange zest (or sub 1 teaspoon orange extract)
• ▢ 50 g (½ cup) walnuts , finely chopped (or sub pecan nuts)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mixed spice (or sub a mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves)
• ▢ Generous amount brandy or sherry (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary – or sub apple or orange juice)
• ▢ 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• ▢ 200 ml (⅘ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• ▢ 4 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ Pinch salt
• ▢ 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
• ▢ 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• ▢ 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

To decorate (optional):

• ▢ Flaked almonds

Instructions

• Place the dried fruit, orange zest, walnuts, ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice in a bowl and add a generous amount of brandy or sherry, until everything is roughly covered
• Keep covered in the fridge for around 24 hours, to allow the flavours to develop
• Before making the cake, preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
• Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, salt and ground almonds
• Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
• Add the dried fruit mixture (along with any residual brandy), adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
• Transfer mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper (I used a one-pound loaf tin)
• Scatter over flaked almonds before baking, if desired
• Bake in oven for 45 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean
• Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

Video

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour.

This is definitely not as sweet as a traditional fruit cake. If you prefer a sweeter cake, add 4 tablespoons of sweetener of choice, such as maple syrup. 

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Fruit Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 292 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 6g30%

Sodium 57mg2%

Potassium 196mg6%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 16g18%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 120mg12%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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