This traditional but Gluten Free Christmas Cake can also be made dairy free. Make the rich fruit cake in advance so it matures beautifully in time for the festive period. It is simple to make, you can choose your tipple and I can guarantee that nobody will know that it’s gluten and dairy free!
When I wanted to make a Gluten and Dairy Free Christmas Cake for my family, I set to work adapting a James Martin Recipe for a Make & Mature Christmas Cake.
I used my Gluten Free Flour Blend in place of the relatively small amount of flour in the recipe. I also swapped out the butter for a 50/50 mix of dairy free margarine and coconut oil.
Although it is often difficult to tell the difference between my gluten free bakes and their regular gluten versions, I would defy anyone to know that this is a free from Christmas Cake!
What is Christmas Cake?
Christmas cake is a dark and rich fruit cake packed with booze soaked dried fruit and traditional spices. It is in particular an English tradition and usually made several months in advance. The cake is then “fed” with alcohol every week or two until it is decorated and eaten around Christmas time.
The Scottish version of the cake called Dundee Cake has a similar base but is fed with whisky rather than the English preference for rum and is decorated with glazed fruits and nuts.
When to Make Christmas Cake
You can make Gluten Free Christmas cake up to 3 or 4 months in advance. The longer the cake is left to mature, the deeper and richer the flavour will become. A longer maturation time will allow for more alcohol to be fed into the cake but you can just leave longer between feeds if you don’t want to go too boozy.
You could make Christmas cake in the couple of weeks leading up to Christmas but I would recommend not leaving it any later than Stir Up Sunday if possible.
What is Stir Up Sunday?
Stir up Sunday is the Sunday before advent starts. This is usually in the last week or so of November. This is traditionally the day when Christmas Puddings are made but I don’t think anyone will be complaining if you stir up a cake rather than a pudding!
How to Decorate a Gluten Free Christmas Cake
You don’t actually need to decorate the cake at all if you don’t want to. Making a naked Christmas Cake really means that you can eat it year round as a tasty, moist fruit cake.
If you choose to make an Iced Christmas cake you could cover it with a layer of marzipan and then a layer of white fondant icing. Make sure to brush the cake with a layer of apricot jam so that it sticks and ensure that any shop bought icing is dairy/gluten free if required.
Alternatively you can make up a royal icing to spread over the cake top and/or sides. This is an ideal icing to make peaks that look like icicles.
You should also not feed the cake with any alcohol in the week before you intend to decorate.
As for anything you choose to add on top of that layer of icing, the sky is the limit. Think Christmas trees, snowmen, Father Christmas and reindeer. You can make decorations or buy them ready made. Or just use regular decorations which you remove before eating. Don’t forget to sterilise them first.
How to Feed a Christmas Cake?
Feeding a cake is the process of carefully spooning alcohol such as Whisky, Run, Cointreau (orange liquor) or Amaretto (almond liquor) over the cake at regular intervals.
I would suggest that you want to feed the cake 3 to 4 times so you can work out the interval depending on when you bake it.
You can make the first feed as the cake is cooling and you should make sure the last feed is at least a week before you intend to decorate/eat the cake. Each feed should involve around 2tbsp of liquid. Make sure to wrap the cake up well in between feeds.
The alcohol provides flavour and moistness to the cake as well as helping to preserve it. I chose to use Amaretto in the cake batter itself and then feed with Cointreau. But you really can choose your favourite varieties.
If you don’t drink alcohol, you don’t need to feed the cake at all. Or if you want to be doubly sure it is lovely and moist, you can feed with with a light sugar syrup. Simply melt together 3 parts water to 1 part sugar. You could also switch the water for orange juice for extra flavour.
How to Eat Gluten Free Christmas Cake
A nice slice with a cup of tea is simply perfect. Traditional Christmas Cake is usually served at room temperature, especially if it is iced.
In some parts of the UK, fruit cake is often eaten with slices of cheese. As this is most common in the North West of England, local cheeses such as Lancashire and Wendsleydale are common. This is obviously not a great option if you are dairy free but is otherwise worth trying!
There are many other ways to be creative with Christmas Cake. One great creative way is to slice it and gently fry it in a little butter (or dairy free alternative). This warms the spices and slightly caramelises the crust. Serve with cream (or alternative) and fruit for breakfast.
How to Line a Christmas Cake Tin
For those of you, like me, who rarely bother with the ‘faff’ of lining a tin, I can assure you that this is the time to bother. The rich stickiness of a gluten free fruit cake is not fun to try and prise from an unlined tin.
I am going to hand you over to Delia Smith for her detailed instructions on How To Line a Tin with Parchment instructions.
More Christmas Treats
Can You Show me How to Make This Cake?
Yes I can! In fact I have a whole online gluten free Christmas cooking course that you can join.
You’ll learn (via two pre-recorded workshops) how to make a huge variety of bakes from stollen to mince pies, Christmas cake and even rough puff pastry (for those all important sausage rolls!).
In addition to access to the workshops you have all the recipes in PDF format to print out along with my help and support.
If you’d like to know more then hop over to my gluten free Christmas cooking page or add to your basket below. You can also download my Christmas Made Easy eBook with instructions on how to make more Christmas Bakes.
Save my recipe for Gluten Free Dairy Free Christmas Cake For Later
The Full Recipe
Gluten Free Christmas Cake (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 500 g mixed dried fruit
- 150 g dried apricots - roughly chopped into small pieces
- 150 g dried dates - roughly chopped into small pieces
- 100 g dried prunes - roughly chopped into small pieces
- 100 g glace cherries - roughly chopped
- 150 ml amaretto - or alcohol or juice of choice
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 125 g hard margarine like Stork - the block, rather than the tub…since the latter is not dairy-free
- 125 g coconut oil - or the Biona unflavoured one
- 1 lemon - zest and juice
- 1 orange - zest and juice
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g ground almonds
- 175 g plain Free From Fairy flour blend
- 2 tsp ground flax seeds - I do mine in my coffee grinder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 6 free range eggs - beaten
Instructions
- Place the mixed fruits (you could use what you have/want) into a large bowl and cover with 150ml alcohol or juice of your choice. Leave to soak for at least 6 hours.
- Meanwhile prepare your tin.
- Line a deep 20cm round cake tin with 2 layers of baking parchment. Wrap 2 layers of baking parchment around the outside of the tin too and secure with string (see link below for how to do this).
- Once the fruit has soaked, take a huge pan (I used my pressure cooker) and melt the coconut oil and stork, along with the sugar.
- Once melted remove from the heat and add the spices, orange and lemon zest and juice, vanilla extract and soaked fruit. Stir well.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir well again.
- Finally add the beaten eggs and stir to combine.
- Place the mixture in your prepared tin and place in a pre-heated oven at 150 degrees (130degree fan), gas mark 2, for 2 hours.
- Remove from the oven, spike all over with a skewer or fork and drizzle with 2 tbsp of your alcohol or juice of choice.
- Leave to cool in the tin before wrapping in the baking parchment and storing away in an airtight container.
- I plan to ‘feed’ my cake every 2 weeks with 2tbsp cointeau. Use whatever alcohol or juice you like, but this will make sure it is lovely and moist (and boozy!!!). Remember to wrap back up and store in the container after every ‘feed’!
- Leave the cake for a week without ‘feeding’ it before icing to make sure the icing sticks.
Caroline says
Gorgeous Christmas cake recipe. I’ve used it the last two years, and have just put this year’s edition in the oven. Trying out a bundt tin this year.
Thank you for writing this X x
Vicki Montague says
Aw that sounds exciting! Let me know how you get on. How do you line a bundt tin to ensure it doesn’t over-cook? I’d love to know!
LyndaBrooks says
Hi Vicki, Just a query about the amount of fruit in your recipe: Is it 500g mixed dried fruit plus the other dried fruit you list making a total of 950g. dried fruit?
Vicki Montague says
That is correct. 500g mixed dried fruit and all the other dried fruits 🙂
Lynda Brooks says
Thank you, I am just about to get on and soak the fruit and make the cake tomorrow.?
Vicki Montague says
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Jasmin Brackenfield says
We made this cake in our kindergarten with the children ready for the Christmas Celebration as we have many dairy and gluten free children and parents. Note it does contain eggs. My colleague always uses coconut flour in her delicious Christmas cake, so I did the same here. You need LESS we used about 150g coconut flour but we didn’t use ground nuts so perhaps less still if you use it’s too. Keep adding until it creates a good cake mix consistency. The coconut flour makes for an absolutely delicious and moist cake.
If in a rush I soak fruits in a cup of freshly made red bush or black tea which cuts down on the soaking time to a couple of hours. I added some juice half way through soaking. The cooking time was longer as I like my cake mix super moist and used somewhat more liquid. Keep checking till knife comes out clean.
Had many comments on the delicious moist cake. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Merry Christmas! ?
Jasmin Brackenfield says
Edit: it was Approx 1/3 less coconut flour than TOTAL flours so re 225 g of coconut flour if not using ground almonds
Vicki Montague says
How lovely to read this! It is an adaptable cake and I’m glad you got it to work with coconut flour. Well done and happy Christmas to you too!
TJ says
Absolutely fabulous cake! Thanks!
Vicki Montague says
So pleased you liked it! It’s yummy isn’t it?!
KS says
Hi
Do I need to use sugar. There is lots of fruit and trying to reduce my sugar intake.
I’m making for the 18th December. What’s the shortest time I can make this and add juice or alcohol. Was going to make it the end of November. Is that enough time?
Do you use jam or marmalade to stick icing on or any marzipan.
Thank you
Vicki Montague says
Hi there! I haven’t made it without sugar but I’m sure it would be fine. You can make it at the last minute. It’s still moist. It just has an even more delicious flavour if you have time to feed it…but it really doesn’t matter. You’d have plenty of time to feed it if you make it at the end of November. I use syrup or jam to make the marzipan stick. Anything ‘sticky’ will do! Let me know what you think!
KS says
Great. I will have a go. I will let you know how I get on.
KS says
An update on my cake.
All went well. A little crumbly but no effect on taste.
I double recipe as had to take to work and then I have saved some for family over Christmas.
I made a big square one with no sugar in. Soaked the fruit in port and fresh orange juice. I used 2 table spoons of cacao powder for the dark colour and your flour adding in some baking powder and xanthan gum. I fed it a few times which made it lovely and moist.
The texture was great. The cake was a good thickness. I cut into squares and decorated some.
Thank you for the recipe. X
Vicki Montague says
Fab to hear it went well. Happy Christmas!
Sophie Tyner says
This is my favourite gluten free Christmas cake recipe. I even made a special one for my 40th Birthday last year I love it so much! Why should Christmas cake only get eaten at Christmas?! x
Vicki Montague says
I agree! I love this fruit cake too and could eat it every day ;)!
Heather Hartin says
Hello Vicki, I would like to try your Christmas cake recipe but I live in Australia, & have no idea what ‘Stork’ is. Can you please illuminate me on what it is, cheers Heather H
Vicki Montague says
Hi Heather and sorry for the delay. Stork is a solid margarine with no dairy products in it. I hope that helps…I am sure you can find something equivalent…
Heather Hartin says
Thanks Vicki, I use a dairy free margarine which I may be able to use although I wouldn’t say it is solid. One thing to tho, the first time I made a Christmas cake I used Marg & it fell to bits when I cut it. Could I use coconut oil instead?
Laura says
I’d really like to try this out with my kids this week (daughter already dairy free but going to try gluten free to see if helps) – but I really hate marzipan! Do you reckon it would be alright without anything on it??
I’ll probably blog about how we get on with it if that’s ok and then I can link to you??
Vicki Montague says
Hi Laura, so sorry for the late reply. It would be perfect just brushed with some honey or something…or use icing instead! We love marzipan so I add that but you certainly don’t need to. I hope you love it as much as we did last year!
Vicki Montague says
Oh and yes, I’d love to see the blog about it!!! Thanks 🙂
Sarah (@tamingtwins) says
I love hearing about other people being mega efficient, it inspires me to get my act together! Alas, no Christmas cake made here yet. Eeek! Really lovely to know you can create something so full of traditional festive flavours but everyone can share it. 🙂
Vicki Montague says
Hi Sarah! I am glad that it inspires you and doesn’t make you swear! The only reason I am that organised is because of this blog! I haven’t done any shopping yet 😉
Vikki Cook says
Hey! It looks like that turned out REALLY well!! Bet you can’t wait to tase it!?
Vicki Montague says
Hi Vikki, I really can’t wait to taste it! I am trying to resist the urge to sniff it even else i don’t think it will make it!!!
Vicki Montague says
Ah thanks Renee! It smells so yummy. The kids are still spying on me 😉
Vicky says
Oooo this looks awesome, I LOVE Christmas cake 🙂
Vicki Montague says
The kids say they don’t like fruit cake but I reckon they will like this one once it has its marzipan cover!
Ceri says
Thank you for sharing – it looks delicious, bet you can’t wait to crack into it! Hoping I will get round to making one this year. Unbelievably I’ve never made a Christmas cake!!
Vicki Montague says
It is so funny with Christmas cake! As I said I had only ever made one before this and that was for a raffle…so I too have never made one for us! I think that is because my mum always makes one and the kids never eat it so I never saw the point. I see it as a sign that I am aging that I have made one this year!
Mel says
It’s brilliant to see you getting so much energy and inspiration. Just reading your post I can imagine you, all bubbly and happy. It is a very happy post, from the punctuation to the comments on the photos; you made me smile a lot my lovely! This year, it will be French Christmas log for us, made in a nice patisserie, yum! xxx
Vicki Montague says
Ooo, French Christmas log…tell me more! Sounds fabulous. Thank you for your lovely comment! Last week I was supercharged…this week I feel like a slug 😉