Traditionally, proper Christmas fruit cake baking should commence at least 6 weeks in advance or better yet, 12 weeks before Santa arrives. If like me you’ve missed the deadline, this No-bake Christmas fruit cake will help you out of a tight spot.
There are scores of benefits to making this Christmas cake, the least of which is the no-bake method.
In a nutshell, here’s what to expect
- Gluten-free
- Can be made ahead of time and frozen for easy holiday entertaining
- Packed with health-boosting whole food ingredients
- Plant based and dairy-free
- Vegan-friendly
- Made in a blender
The core ingredients are Medjool dates, nuts, dried fruits and all the warming Christmas spices. Holding it all together are toffee-like dates, coconut oil and maple syrup, I dry toast the nuts for extra flavour. Brandy or sherry are obligatory for a full-bodied Christmas bloom, so I plump up the fruit with a quick maceration. If you’re serving it to children, you can easily substitute with rooibos tea or orange juice.
Serve with after dinner coffees, or as part of a cheese board with a selection of cheese and seasonal fruits. Savoury crisp-bread with a wedge of cake and soft gorgonzola cheese is sublimely delicious. I’d give it a try.
No-bake Christmas fruit cake
- 300g (2 cups) dried fruit cake mix (raisins, currants, sultanas, orange peel, cranberries)
- 1 knob preserved ginger, finely chopped
- 45ml (3 tablespoons) brandy or sherry
- 100g (1cup) raw walnuts
- 100g (1 cup) raw pecan nuts
- 150g (about 1 cup) Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon mixed spice
- a generous pinch of nutmeg
- 45ml (3 tablespoons) cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- preserved fruit or fresh fruit, for finishing
- Combine the dried fruit mix and preserved ginger pieces with the brandy in a bowl. Set aside to macerate for an hour or to speed up the process, heat in the microwave for 40 seconds.
- Toast the nuts in a pan over a medium heat until they smell fragrant and nutty. Set aside to cool.
- Place the pitted dates in a food processor and blitz until broken down.
- Add all the spices, cocoa powder, salt, coconut oil and maple syrup to the dates and pulse to combine.
- Transfer the date mixture to a mixing bowl. Pulse the nuts and all the macerated fruit until fine, but still with some texture.
- Add the nut mixture to the dates and work together by hand until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- If your food processor is large enough, add all the ingredients at once and pulse to combine.
- Press the cake mixture into a greased 15cm round cake tin, cover with foil and freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
- To un-mould, run a smooth-bladed knife around the sides and turn out onto a cake stand. Top with preserved or fresh fruit just before serving.
- Keep the cake chilled in the fridge. It can also be frozen for up to 3 weeks ahead of time. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
For more no bake dessert recipes, you may like to try these two Bibby’s Kitchen favourites.
3 Comments. Leave new
Diane this is too good to be true! Wow!
I’m loving this sticky nut cake Kathleen. Literally can’t stop eating it, slither by delicious slither.
This is so inventive, it looks very rich is it? I love this idea so much.