This is a sugar-free boiled fruitcake. It is ideal for birthdays, or special occasions. The recipe is an evolution of two previously baked fruitcakes, and then influenced by an uncooked gluten and sugar fruitcake recipe. It tastes equally good whether matured or eaten immediately. People seem to enjoy eating it.
Ingredients:
375g (2 1/4C) raisins
375g (1 3/4C plus 2tbsp) sultanas
75g (1/3C) dried cherries
275ml (1C plus 5tsp) water
250g (1C plus 2tbsp) ghee
300g (2C) Buckwheat flour
80g (3/4C) ground almonds
1 1/2tsp Xylitol
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg
3 eggs, lightly beaten
90g (1/2C) chopped mixed peel
grated rind/zest of 1 lemon
1tsp vanilla essence
85ml to 125ml (1/3C to 1/2C) Pineapple juice
Method:
Line a 7in (mm) square (or a 8in (mm) diameter) cake tin with a double layer of brown paper, covering the bottom and the sides. This is to provide extra protection for the cake as it is in the oven for a long time, and will help to reduce burning. Line the inside of this ‘protected tin’ with a double layer of parchment or greaseproof paper.
Also, cut a length of brown paper to fold round the outside of the tin, ensure that it is big enough to stick up 1in (2.5cm) or so above the edge of the cake tin, wrap it around and secure with a paper clip. This offers another level of protection. Make a lid out of brown paper, or a double thickness of greaseproof paper, to put over the top of the tin for the second half of cooking, as well.
Halve or quarter the dried cherries.
Place water, ghee, raisins, sultanas, and cut dried cherries in a large saucepan, heat and bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
Leave fruit mixture to cool.
In a large bowl, or large plastic freezer bag, mix the flour, ground almond, Xylitol, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg, lifting into the air to aerate the ‘flour ‘mix.
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2.
Transfer the cooled fruit mix into a large mixing bowl.
Into the fruit mix, gradually add the beaten eggs, a little at a time (with a little sprinkling of the flour mix to stop any possibility of the mixture curdling if required), mixing with a wooden spoon, then, adding in the mixed peel, vanilla essence, and lemon zest, lightly stirring. Then, lightly stir in the ‘flour mix’ until well combined.
Finally, add the pineapple juice (1/3C), lightly stirring. Add any extra pineapple juice by the spoonful until you have a ‘soft dropping consistency’. The total amount of pineapple juice to add is somewhere between 1/3C and 1/2C.
Pour the cake mixture into the lined cake tin, pressing well into the corners at the bottom and smoothing the top.
Bake for 2½ to 2¾ hrs in the preheated oven, and half way through add the ‘paper lid’ to the cake tin to stop the top of the cake from burning. The cake will be thoroughly baked when a skewer comes out clean when pushed in at about 1/3rd distance from the centre.
Remove from oven when the cake is done, and cool in the tin overnight. Then it will be completely cooled.
Remove from the cake tin and peel off the parchment/greaseproof paper, wrap in fresh greaseproof paper, and then either place in a large airtight tin or wrap with foil.
And enjoy.
Ingredients:
375g (2 1/4C) raisins
375g (1 3/4C plus 2tbsp) sultanas
75g (1/3C) dried cherries
275ml (1C plus 5tsp) water
250g (1C plus 2tbsp) ghee
300g (2C) Buckwheat flour
80g (3/4C) ground almonds
1 1/2tsp Xylitol
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg
3 eggs, lightly beaten
90g (1/2C) chopped mixed peel
grated rind/zest of 1 lemon
1tsp vanilla essence
85ml to 125ml (1/3C to 1/2C) Pineapple juice
Method:
Line a 7in (mm) square (or a 8in (mm) diameter) cake tin with a double layer of brown paper, covering the bottom and the sides. This is to provide extra protection for the cake as it is in the oven for a long time, and will help to reduce burning. Line the inside of this ‘protected tin’ with a double layer of parchment or greaseproof paper.
Also, cut a length of brown paper to fold round the outside of the tin, ensure that it is big enough to stick up 1in (2.5cm) or so above the edge of the cake tin, wrap it around and secure with a paper clip. This offers another level of protection. Make a lid out of brown paper, or a double thickness of greaseproof paper, to put over the top of the tin for the second half of cooking, as well.
Halve or quarter the dried cherries.
Place water, ghee, raisins, sultanas, and cut dried cherries in a large saucepan, heat and bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
Leave fruit mixture to cool.
In a large bowl, or large plastic freezer bag, mix the flour, ground almond, Xylitol, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg, lifting into the air to aerate the ‘flour ‘mix.
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2.
Transfer the cooled fruit mix into a large mixing bowl.
Into the fruit mix, gradually add the beaten eggs, a little at a time (with a little sprinkling of the flour mix to stop any possibility of the mixture curdling if required), mixing with a wooden spoon, then, adding in the mixed peel, vanilla essence, and lemon zest, lightly stirring. Then, lightly stir in the ‘flour mix’ until well combined.
Finally, add the pineapple juice (1/3C), lightly stirring. Add any extra pineapple juice by the spoonful until you have a ‘soft dropping consistency’. The total amount of pineapple juice to add is somewhere between 1/3C and 1/2C.
Pour the cake mixture into the lined cake tin, pressing well into the corners at the bottom and smoothing the top.
Bake for 2½ to 2¾ hrs in the preheated oven, and half way through add the ‘paper lid’ to the cake tin to stop the top of the cake from burning. The cake will be thoroughly baked when a skewer comes out clean when pushed in at about 1/3rd distance from the centre.
Remove from oven when the cake is done, and cool in the tin overnight. Then it will be completely cooled.
Remove from the cake tin and peel off the parchment/greaseproof paper, wrap in fresh greaseproof paper, and then either place in a large airtight tin or wrap with foil.
And enjoy.
