Traditional Gluten-Free Christmas Cake (rich dark fruitcake)

The scent of a freshly baked Christmas Cake cooling next to the stove ushers in the season mid-November like no other. Decorated beautifully and resplendent on display this dark rich and dense fruit cake is an absolute festive treat and a stunning cake to serve family and friends on Christmas Day. According to Nigel Slater a good Christmas Cake should be more fruit than crumb and this one is an admirable example of that.

​The secret behind this very traditional cake is the inclusion of almond flour which is the best way of getting the most delectable moist and rich crumb that has great structure, minimal crumble without using any xanthan gum in the recipe. This gluten-free fruit cake recipe will rival any wheat flour version and always wins over the most diehard Delia Smith fan.

Gluten-Free Christmas Cake Recipe

The cake is made over two days so the dried fruits can soak overnight with citrus zest and brandy. Then the rest of the cake batter is made the next day and baked low and slow for three and a half hours.

The best way to make this cake is in advance and I'll show you the best way to store and feed the cake if you are making it on Stir-Up Sunday (which is at the end of November). It's a great choice to make it early as not only does it get a big baking project out of the way before the holiday season really kicks off but then it gives you the opportunity to feed the cake every 10 days to make this deep rich gluten-free fruitcake even more luxurious by the time Christmas Eve comes around.

I'll show you the simplest way to decorate the finished cake using homemade rolled marzipan (trust me - this is easy and tastes amazing) and then finished with easy grocery store bought fondant. To complete this stunning cake you can decorate with these gorgeous frosted cranberries and rosemary and wrapped with your favourite festive ribbon.

Ingredients Needed

Buckwheat flour. This is the wholegrain flour I love to use (although technically buckwheat is a pseudo grain) for this Gluten-Free Christmas Cake recipe. The flavour it imparts to the cake is superb. Rich earthy tones which provide a lovely backdrop to the molasses flavour of the dark sugar and treacle and are also a perfect partner to the spices and brandy. READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Buckwheat Flour

Tapioca flour (starch). This is a great all-rounder starchy flour necessary to help all the ingredients to bind together so we have no need for xanthan gum. READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Tapioca Flour

Almond flour. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>> Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds. This cake can be made with finely ground almond meal too. The almonds add stability and moistness to the recipe. Nut allergy? If you are allergic then use my Homemade Flour Blend for the whole amount of the almond flour + the flour – but not any other gluten-free flour, my mix is specifically developed as a stable blend which doesn’t need xanthan gum.

Vine fruits. The traditional triumvirate of sultanas, currants and raisins are a classic for a reason.

Glacé cherries. The best ones to use are the lovely whole red glacé cherries. If you have any Homemade Glacé Cherries in your larder then you’ll be given the award of Star Baker!

Mixed peel. It gives a gorgeous citrus vibe to the cake and if you’ve never tried using Homemade Mixed Peel in your cakes then you will be in for a treat.

Orange zest and lemon zest. Let’s really sharpen up the citrus stakes. Use organic and unwaxed fruit.

Brandy. Using brandy is traditional but not the only choice. You can swap in cherry brandy, amaretto, rum or sherry. Don’t buy an expensive bottle for the job though. Supermarket’s own is fine.

Spices. This is a heavily spiced cake and uses cinnamon, mixed spice (see my Homemade Mixed Spice recipe) and nutmeg to set the cake up beautifully.

Whole almonds. Yes more almonds but this time we chop them up roughly for a gorgeous nubbly texture. Skin-on raw almonds are fine to use.

Unsalted butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Dark soft brown sugar. We choose dark brown sugar for flavour and moisture. You can swap out for light brown sugar which gives a lighter flavour or even muscovado sugar for more intensity.

Black treacle. This is a dark, bitter syrup derived from sugar refining, it’s used often in traditional British baking thanks to its rich and unique flavour. It can be substituted with molasses or dark corn syrup.

Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

Salt (not pictured). I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.

Flour Substitutions

Buckwheat flour. You can substitute this flour with either 

• Teff flour – A little lighter than buckwheat but it pairs so well with the spices in the cake and gives a caramelly flavour.
• Sorghum flour – this flour is a great all-rounder, a natural flavour which would be an excellent choice for this Christmas Cake instead of the Buckwheat.

Using all-purpose gluten-free flour. If you want to swap out the tapioca flour and buckwheat flour and use your favourite brand of gluten-free all-purpose flour then you can’t go wrong with this option either. I like Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain White Flour as it doesn’t contain xanthan gum. That’s my personal preference – if your brand does contain xanthan gum then that is fine to use too. Although you could also use my Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend which also works a treat.

How to make a Gluten-Free Christmas Cake

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Soak the vine fruits, glacé cherries and mixed peel in the brandy overnight.

The next day beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy and mix in the eggs.

Whisk the flours up with the ground almonds then add into the cake mixture along with the spices.

Finally mix in the soaked fruit, peel, chopped almonds, black treacle, orange and lemon zests.

Pour the cake mixture into a tin which has been doubly lined on the bottom and around the sides with parchment paper.

Bake for 3.5 hours at 150C / 130C fan / gas 2. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes in the tin then remove to finish cooling on a cooling rack. When the cake is cold pierce the surface several times using a skewer and spoon brandy over the top.

Wrap the cake in double baking parchment followed by a double layer of aluminium foil and store in a large airtight tin.

You can feed the cake with 2 tablespoons of brandy every 10 days until you are ready to decorate it.

FAQs

When should you make a Christmas Cake?

A Christmas Cake can be made 5-6 weeks before you want to serve it. It’s traditional to ‘feed’ your Christmas cake every 10 days with 1-2 tablespoons of brandy (or alcohol of your choice).

How should you store a Christmas cake?

Once the cake has completely cooled then wrap well in parchment and a sturdy layer of aluminium foil. Keep the cake in an airtight tin (not plastic as the atmosphere is too moist) and store safely somewhere cool and dark like the top or your kitchen cupboard or larder.

What ‘feeding liquid’ should you use in a Christmas Cake?

Go wild. Brandy is the traditional choice as that is what we’ve already used when making the cake. But amaretto, rum or even cherry brandy are also excellent options.

How often should you feed your Christmas cake?

2 tablespoons every 10 days until you decorate it. Pierce the cake several times with a skewer and spoon brandy into the holes. (knitting needle or a thin chopstick also good options for poking holes)

How long does Christmas Cake keep?

Undecorated the cake will last for at least a couple of months if wrapped up and stored correctly. Once decorated with marzipan and icing then your cake will last at least a week, if not longer. If you want to keep your cake refrigerated (not that I would recommend that in terms of taste) it will keep for at least a month.

How To Decorate Your Gluten-Free Christmas Cake

I like to go traditional and ice the cake with both marzipan and ready-to-roll fondant icing.

1. Brush the surface of the cake all over with apricot jam, heated and brought to the boil with a splash of water to ease the spreading.
2. Roll out your marzipan and drape over the surface of your cake, tuck it in all around, use a cake smoother to get a really even surface over the surface and around the sides. Trim the excess marzipan at the base of the cake.
3. Leave the cake out overnight for the marzipan to dry out the excess oils before you cover with the icing.
4. Brush the surface of the marzipan with a little brandy to help the icing stick.
5. Roll out the icing and drape over the top of the cake.
6. Tuck it in around the sides and again use a cake smoother to get a really even surface over the surface and around the sides. Trim the excess icing at the base of the cake.

How to Make Frosted Redcurrants and Rosemary

This is such an easy and effective way to decorate your cake.

1. Dip your stem of redcurrants and whole rosemary stalks into egg white, and shake off the excess.
2. Drag them through a small bowl filled with white sugar and then leave to dry overnight on baking parchment.
3. Arrange as you like atop of your Christmas Cake.