Weekend Recipe: A Gluten-Free Holiday Cake That’ll Have Everyone Coming Back for Seconds

This is a luxurious and gluten-free holiday cake that’s perfect for all celebrations. The dried fruits are soaked in orange, cinnamon and vanilla aromatics for about one hour, which creates a wonderful aroma and keeps the cake moist. Serve in delicate portions after lunch or dinner or warm it up and enjoy as a pudding with Greek yogurt or a dollop of crème fraîche.

WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT IT:

This cake is naturally sweetened with a high ratio of fruit, which means you don’t need to use any extra sugar in the recipe. I’ve used organically grown dried fruits in this cake, which means they’re free from the preservative sulfur dioxide found in many commercial baked fruit cakes. Dried fruits such as apricots, fresh dates and prunes are rich in soluble fiber that supports digestive health. They’re also filled with minerals such as potassium and magnesium.

I’m also using almond flour which replaces traditional white refined flours that make up most store-bought cakes. The almond flour is gluten free and adds protein and moisture so I just need to add a small amount of macadamia nut or olive oil to make it complete.

INGREDIENTS:

21 1/4 oz (600 g) organic mixed dried fruit (raisins, apricots, dates)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons vanilla bean extract

Zest and juice from 1 orange

3 tablespoons olive oil or macadamia nut oil

3 tablespoons organic maple syrup

3 organic eggs

7 oz (200 g) almond flour

handful flaked almonds to decorate

HOW TO PREPARE:

Preheat your oven to 160°C / 320°F fan force

Prepare a 18 cm / 7 inch round cake tin with baking paper lining the sides and the base

Combine the dried fruit, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, orange zest and juice, olive oil, maple syrup and the eggs into a mixing bowl

Rest for one hour to allow the fruits to soften and absorb some of the delicious flavor

Add the almond flour and mix through

Spoon batter into your lined baking tin and sprinkle with flaked almonds

Bake for 60 – 80 minutes, covering the cake with foil half way through cooking so as not to over brown

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before turning out onto a plate to cool completely

Serve at room temperature or however you’d like it

NOTES & INSPIRATION: Store cake wrapped well in the fridge for up to four weeks.

Teresa Cutter, founder of The Healthy Chef, is an author, nutritionist and classically trained chef. You can find more of Cutter’s tips and recipes on her website, app, eBooks and Instagram.

“My main goal at The Healthy Chef is to get people cooking, eating healthier and looking after their bodies, so that we can all live better lives filled with health and happiness. Instead of focusing on finicky nutrition details, we should pay attention to the broader picture – that is, to eat natural foods, focus on fresh fruits and vegetables and just keep it simple.” — Teresa Cutter