vegan yuley chrimbo cake

Chrimbo big spicy fruity cake

At christmas time i always long for an iced christmas cake. There are certainly NO vegan ones I have found. On a random search i came across the most fantastic and marvellous recipe at the amazing Suma Wholefoods site ( who knew ). I have been making this beauty ever since!!!!! Thankyou Suma for allowing me to have fun with decorating a chrimbo cake every year!

  

Ingredients:

12oz / 340g plain flour
6oz / 170g soft brown sugar
6oz / 170g currants
6oz / 170g sultanas
5oz / 140g raisins
2oz / 55g glace cherries – chopped
1oz / 25g mixed peel – chopped
1/2 pint / 280ml soya milk (or you can use oat milk, rice milk, or coconut milk)
2 1/2oz / 70g soya or sunflower dairy free spread
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp mixed spice
pinch of salt
6 tbsp / 90ml brandy (optional) 

Method:

Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice in to a large mixing bowl, then rub in the dairy free spread. Stir in the sugar, currants, sultanas, raisins, peel and cherries. Add the lemon rind and give it a good stir. Add all but 2tbsp of the soya milk and stir lightly. Heat the remaining soya milk in a pan or microwave so it is warm but not boiling, you should be able to touch it without burning your finger. Pour on to the bicarb and then stir it thoroughly into the mixture, without actually beating.
Put into a lined 73/4 inch diameter tin, smooth and slightly hollow out centre.
Bake at about gas mark 4 for an hour, then turn down to gas mark 3 for a further 45 minutes. It’s done when a normal skewer comes out clean.

If you are going to use the brandy:

Leave the cake to cool and then prick with a cocktail stick and feed with a third of the brandy. Wrap the cake in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container or tin. You can pour the rest of the brandy over the cake at weekly intervals. It will keep for 4-6 weeks easily. Mine at present has spiced rum being fed into it!!!