Comforting Gluten Free Fruit Cake
Cake that cheers that up a rainy summer!
I heard on the radio that we’re to discount June as a summer month so I needed something to cheer me up in the way of food, more specifically cake!
I wouldn’t normally be thinking about fruit cake at this time of year but wanted something comforting that I could create from store cupboard ingredients so on leafing through Phil Vickery’s Seriously Good Gluten Free Baking cookbook I spotted his Quick Extra Moist Fruit Cake.
All those words did it for me as I was craving something to go with a hot cuppa before the school run and the thought of a slice of moist fruit cake hit the spot. Although the cake was quick to make it took an hour in the oven and it had to cool so I ended up sharing it with my small people after school. Not quite my idea of a quiet, indulgent moment, but they acted as official taste testers and informed me it went well with a glass of milk. Hmm!
The cake was well worth the wait though, had a lovely texture and the fruit is really juicy and moist. It practically tastes healthy! We gave it a GF&G score of 9/10
So if you fancy cozying up to a cuppa and slice of gluten free fruit cake here’s how to do it….
PHIL VICKERY’S QUICK EXTRA MOIST FRUIT CAKE
100g raisins
100g sultanas
75g semi – dried cranberries
125ml semi-skimmed milk, warmed
vegetable oil for greasing
90g cooking margarine
125g caster sugar
180g Gluten-Free Flour Mix A*
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xantham gum
125ml semi-skimmed milk, warmed with 2 teaspoons glycerine
2 medium eggs, beaten at room temperature
*Gluten-Free Flour Mix A is a combination of 700g fine white rice flour, 200g potato flour, 100g tapioca flour mixed very thoroughly together or pulsed in a food processor
Place the fruit in a bowl, add the warmed milk and stir well. Leave for at least 2 hours or until the milk has been absorbed.
Preheat the oven to 160 C/gas mark 3. Oil a 23 x 13 x 7cm loaf tin and base-line with baking parchment.
Place the margarine and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until nice and creamy. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and xantham gum really well. Add the flour mix to the margarine and sugar, then add the warm milk and glycerine and mix well. Stir in the beaten eggs. Finally add the soaked fruit and liquid & give it a really good stir to ensure the fruit is evenly distributed. Spoon into the prepared tin.
Cook in the oven for 50-60 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the sponge comes out clean. (Even though the skewer came out clean at 50 minutes, I found it needed the full 60 at 150 C in a Fan Oven but I guess all ovens are different).
Once cooked, remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Most importantly, ensure you have allowed enough time for the whole process to enjoy that first slice by yourself with a cup of something warming. Thereafter, share if you really have to & serve with a glass of milk to anyone of the child variety.
Gluten – free Fruitcake
Why not warm you day up and give it a go!
What’s your favourite gluten free comforting treat?
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