(Not my recipe you’ll be relieved to hear).

This gorgeous cake comes from the woman at the centre of all things home-grown and home-baked, Joy Skipper.  She has very kindly shared this recipe with us, so here it is:

Vegan Christmas Cake

Serves 12-16 slices

• I kg dried mixed fruit (dates, sultanas, goji berries, apricots, cherries, cranberries)
• 150ml Amaretto liqueur or rum + 1 tbsp for feeding
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 225g coconut oil
• 200g coconut sugar (or dark muscovado)
• 4 tbsp chia seeds
• 120g ground almonds
• 175g plain flour
• 125g flaked almonds
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp mixed spice

• Place the dried fruit in a bowl with the 150ml of Amaretto or rum and mix well. Leave to stand overnight to allow the dried fruit to soak in the alcohol and ‘plump up’,
• Transfer the soaked fruit to a large pan with the lemon and orange zest, coconut oil and sugar and slowly cook, until the coconut oil has melted and the sugar has dissolved, stirring from time to time. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 160°C, 140°C fan, Gas mark 3. Completely line a 20cm cake tin with double thickness of baking paper, and then wrap around the outside of the tin with double thickness of newspaper and tie with string.  This prevents burning over a long cooking time.
• Mix the chia seeds with 150ml water and leave to stand until they become gelatinous.
• Add the soaked chia seeds and all of the remaining ingredients to the dried fruit mix and mix really well. Pour into the tin, level the top and bake for 2 hours and 20 minutes – until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven. Leave to stand for 15-20 minutes then prick a few holes in the top before sprinkling over the remaining alcohol. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
• Once cool, remove from the tin, feed more alcohol if you wish, and decorate in your own personal style!

Thank you Joy.  And for the glorious photograph!

Annie
x