Lee Holmes' Supercharged Healthy Christmas Fruit Cake

Submitted by Bren_in_L.R.

"This cake can be made simply and easily with a minimum of fuss. Keep it handy for when friends drop in or wrap it for a party. You can add in whatever dried fruit combination you prefer. The fruit adds an element of natural sweetness so there's no need to add any refined sugars or sugar substitutes."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 17
• Yields: 1 8 inch cake

ingredients

• 1 cup almond meal
• 1⁄3 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 cups mixed dried fruit (currants, cranberries, blueberries, raisins, figs, apricots, sultanas, cherries, dates)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon allspice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons walnut oil (or light olive oil)
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1⁄2 cup whole blanched almond (for decorating)

directions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line an 8 inch cake tin or springform pan with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl combine almond meal, chopped walnuts, dried fruit, spices, baking powder, soda, vanilla, salt and lemon zest.
3. In a separate bowl, place lemon juice, coconut milk, oil and eggs and whisk together. Add the dry ingredients to wet and fold through with a wooden spoon. Spoon the mixture into prepared tin then press the mixture down into the tin using your hands so that it is compact and tightly packed.
4. Bake for 1 hour on the middle shelf of the oven.
5. Open oven and placed blanched almonds on top in a decorative pattern and return to oven for 30 minutes.
6. Check cake with a skewer and remove the cake from the oven when the skewer comes out clean.
7. Let cool then carefully remove from tin or pan. Store in sealed container in fridge.