Not your Grandma's Christmas Fruitcake

Fruitcake has a bad rap. We make jokes about them being recycled from year to year and only given by grandmas, but the truth is fruitcake tastes awesome!

Baking for the holidays and during the colder months is something I look forward to every year. Seeing the reactions of friends and family when I present them with an array of treats is so heartwarming! Now, I couldn't abandon you without giving you a fruit cake recipe for winter months! Fruitcake is a traditional British cake that is made with dried fruits, nuts, and alcohol. The alcohol is used in the cake to preserve it over long periods of time. For the longest time, I hated fruit cake, I always associated it with a hard brick of dough but fast forward a few years and I can’t talk around my mouthful of fruitcake because it’s delicious! I came up with a healthier option to satisfy anybody's sweet and nostalgic tooth! This Christmas cake is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, super easy to make, and filled with delicious ingredients that will leaving you wanting more.

This cake is super dense from all of the dried fruits, but the citrus lights up the texture. If you don’t want to use gluten free flour, you can always substitute almond flour instead. This will give the cake a more mealy texture, but it will be equally as delicious. You could substitute vanilla extract for almond extract if using almond flour to give it a nice pop of flavor. I personally love the taste of almond, orange, and cinnamon. It reminds me of winter and cuddling up watching the snow fall outside. This cake would be best served with a scoop of coconut ice cream or even a dollop of coconut whipped crème. I’m drooling even thinking about it!

Christmas Fruitcake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten free flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• Zest from one orange
• 2 cups mixed dried fruits (dates, raisons, cherries, lemon)
• 1/2 cup mixed nuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.) Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl

3.) Line 2 small pans or 1 medium pan with parchment paper and bake for 40–45 minutes or until toothpick inserted is clean

4.) Let cool for 30 minutes

Optional: Dust with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

This cake will keep around a week if you place it in the fridge, if it lasts that long! Happy baking and enjoy the recipe!

For more awesome holiday recipes, try these gingerbread protein balls!