It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! This Vegan Christmas Cake is rich with fruit and booze and is just as amazing made a few days before Christmas or up to 8 weeks before! I promise either way it is utterly delicious.
I love how this Christmas Cake is so beautiful with all the dried fruits on top. You can really get crafty and Christmassy and use your creative flair to decorate it. Also, don't forget to pick up Festive Feasts Christmas Cookbook as paperback or e-book.
Whether you choose to make this cake well ahead of time, or closer to Christmas Day, this lovely cake is better decorated just before serving. I love baking at Christmas time, so why not try making these Vegan Lebkuchen Cookies or if you're a fan of mince pies, this simple Vegan Mince Pie Baklava.
🍰Ingredients
The ingredients for this vegan Christmas cake are totally delicious, making a dense and truly satisfying treat. Here's what you'll need.
- Dried fruit - you'll need 900g altogether. How much you have of each type of fruit is up to you, and depends on what you can get hold of. I've used a mix of currents, raisins, glace cherries, candied peel and sultanas. So you could double the raisins if you don't have sultanas for example, or add more of the ones you like best! This makes up the bulk of the cake. You can get these online, in healthfood stores and certainly at big supermarkets.
- Brandy (or whiskey/rum) - this is for soaking the fruit and what gives a lovely depth of flavour and part of that Festive spice to a vegan Christmas cake. Most brandy and spirits are vegan (so you'll probably be fine), but do check the label first. You can often filter in online shops for 'vegan' alcohol.
- Plain (all purpose) flour - standard for a cake like this. We've not tried it with a gluten-free flour but feel free to give it a go if you need a gluten-free version.
- Spices - I love these Festive flavours. We've used ginger, nutmeg and mixed spice. You can use more or less of each, depending on your taste. If you love spices , then you should also try my Vegan Gingerbread Brownies.
- Vegan butter/margarine - Any vegan butter or margarine is fine. If you want to use oil, that should also work.
- Milled linseed/flaxseed - the best egg replacement for sturdy cakes like these. When you mix milled linseed/flaxseed with water it forms a gel, which binds the cake.
- Black treacle (molasses) - this gives the cake its wonderful dark colour. Black treacle is easy to find online and in supermarkets.
- Blanched almonds - chopped quite finely. These give a delicious crunch to the cake and contrast with the softer fruit. Leave out for a nut-free version.
- Zest of orange and lemon - it is best to always get unwaxed organic citrus fruit if using the zest. The zest balances out the richness of the flavour.
- Apricot jam - this forms a glaze and sticky surface to decorate your cake.
- Various dried fruit and nuts - for decorating . See the Decoration section for inspiration on decorating yours.
🍇Preparation
Like all good fruit cakes, one also has a step in advance before you can make the cake itself. You need to soak all that wonderful fruit in brandy (or whiskey or another spirit) for 12-18 hours or choose to leave it for a couple of days, which will give you an even richer flavour. To soak the fruit, you have to use a ceramic or plastic bowl. If you use a metal bowl the acid in the fruit may react with the metal and taint the fruit. I personally love using a ceramic bowl for lots of my baking.
Get your equipment ready too! A good cake tin is a must. I used an 8 inch round tin, but you can also use a square tin. Up to you. I love using spring-form loose bottom tins for super easy cake extraction! They are great for all sorts of cakes and cheesecakes.
👩🏽🍳How-To
This cake has three main steps; preparing the fruit, making the cake and decorating. Below are simple step by step instructions for this wonderful vegan Christmas cake.
Before you start:
Carefully line your cake tin to make sure the cake doesn't burn with its long slow cooking time. So you grease and line the cake tin with baking parchment. Then wrap the outside of the cake tin with baking parchment which is several inches taller than the top of the cake tin. Wrap around twice so you have a double layer. Tie this securely around the cake tin with the kitchen string.
1.The night before you make the cake: place all the dried fruit and candied peel into a plastic or ceramic bowl (not metal) and mix in the brandy. Leave the fruit to soak at room temperature for at least 12-18 hours covered with a cloth. You can leave for a couple of days or up to a month.
2. Sieve the flour, spices and salt into a large mixing bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the milled linseed/flaxseed with water.
3. Cream together ‘butter’ and sugar until it is as light and fluffy as possible. Bit by bit add the linseed mixture and blend.
Then add the treacle/molasses. Dipping the spoon in boiling water will allow the molasses to slide off the spoon into the mix much more easily.
4. In the bowl with the flour and spices, fold in the treacle, linseed and butter mixture.
5. Add the zest of the lemon and orange and all the dried fruit and the chopped nuts. Mix well to combine.
6. Transfer the mixture to your prepared cake tin.
Bake at Gas Mark 1, 275°F, 140°C for between 4 hours 25 mins and 4 hours 45 mins. It will be done when a cake skewer comes out clean.
Remove the vegan Christmas cake from the tin. Either store or decorate immediately.
It's best to decorate the vegan Christmas cake just before serving, as opposed to storing the cake for weeks with decoration on.
7. Once cool, poke some holes in the cake with a skewer or chopstick. Pour in some additional teaspoons of brandy which will soak into the holes you've made.
8. Melt the apricot jam in a pan. The heat will melt it. Then strain it through a sieve to remove any lumps.
Brush the jam on top of the cake, then arrange your fancy fruit and nuts over. The jam will keep them in place until ready to serve.
🍒Decoration
Ths is the fun part, where you can get creative!
You can use a range of glace cherries (halved), blanched almonds, walnut and pecan halves, finely chopped candied orange peel and even holly (don't consume that though, obviously) to make the most beautiful vegan Christmas cake. The easiest thing is to start from either the outside and make a rim, then work your way in, or start in the middle.
It's best to do this decoration just before you want to eat it. If you're making the cake weeks in advance, you'll want to feed it with brandy each week, which you won't be able to do if it's decorated.
❓FAQs
Some questions we're often asked about our vegan Christmas cake:
If you're making the cake in advance, it's best to wrap it in a double layer of baking parchment, and also wrap well in aluminium foil. Then store in a cake tin or airtight container. Then put in a cool, dry place. Feed it with more brandy (or rum or whiskey) every week by poking small holes in it and pouring over a couple of teaspoons of the alcohol.
Yes! Just leave out the blanched almonds from the cake itself, and don't use any nuts for decoration.
We haven't tried. But of course, if you want to try it with gluten-free flour you're welcome to.
Absolutely it can. Either cut up into separate slices and freeze, or put it in whole. Best to use airtight containers to keep the quality of your food when freezing. I use these glass Tupperware which are great quality, toxin-free and better for the environment.
This recipe was developed by Vanessa, one of the original co-founders of this site. Vanessa is now working on her plant based health coaching business, Energise and Thrive Plant Based. She helps people get high energy, great health, and balanced eating with delicious plant-based food.
She’s also brought out her FREE Guide - 5 Steps to Balanced Plant Based Eating which you’re welcome to download. Of course, all the recipes she has created for The Vegan Larder (like this one!) will remain here for you to access.
🍴Other recipes
If you love this Vegan Christmas Cake, then I think you'll also love these other delicious recipes.
- 6 Ingredient Vegan Mince Pie Baklava
- Vegan Spiced Caramel Apple Cake
- Vegan Lemon & Blood Orange Upside Down Cake
- Vegan Apple & Blackberry Cake
Please share the recipe with your friends and comment below; this helps others find our yummy recipes!
📖 Recipe
The Best Vegan Christmas Cake
Equipment
- Kitchen string
- Baking parchment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
The dried fruit (900g altogether - you can vary your ratios)
- 450 g (3 cups) currents
- 175 g (1¼ cups) sultanas
- 175 g (1¼ cups) seedless raisins
- 50 g (⅓ cup) glacé cherries (finely chopped and rinsed in water)
- 50 g (⅓ cup) candied peel
- 4 tablespoon brandy (or whiskey/rum, check it's vegan. Optional to add more, plus extra for feeding the cake later)
Other Cake Ingredients
- 225 g (1¾ cups) plain white flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
- 200 g (¾ cups + 2 tbsp) unsalted vegan margarine/butter (at room temperature)
- 225 g (1½ cups) soft brown sugar
- 8 tablespoon milled linseed/flaxseed (milled chia seeds also work)
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) water
- 1 tablespoon black treacle (molasses)
- 50 g (⅓ cups) blanched almonds (chopped quite finely)
- 1 lemon, grated zest of (use unwaxed if possible)
- 1 orange, grated zest of (use unwaxed if possible, optional but tastes great)
Decoration (add extra fruit and nuts as desired)
- 150 g (½ cup) apricot jam
- 20 blanced almonds
- 15 pecans halves
- 8 walnut halves
- 12 glace cherries (halved)
- 40 g (½ cup) candied peel (finely chopped)
Instructions
To prepare the dried fruit
- The night before you make the cake: place all the dried fruit and candied peel into a plastic or ceramic bowl (not metal) and mix in the brandy. Leave the fruit to soak at room temperature for at least 12-18 hours covered with a cloth. You can leave for a couple of days if desired.
- Leave the fruit to soak at room temperature for at least 12-18 hours covered with a cloth. NB: if you want the fruit to be extra juicy, you can do this process up to a month in advance. Add more brandy/rum as the fruit soaks it up
To prepare the cake tin
- Grease and line the cake tin with baking parchment.
- Wrap the outside of the cake tin with baking parchment which is several inches taller than the top of the cake tin. Wrap around twice so you have a double layer. Tie this securely around the cake tin with the kitchen string. This helps prevent the cake from burning during its long slow baking tie. If you cannot find kitchen string, use a band of thinly rolled (or folded) aluminium foil and secure ends to keep the brown paper in place.
To make the cake
- Preheat oven to Gas Mark 1/275°F/140°C.
- Sieve the flour, spices and salt into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the milled (blended) linseed/flaxseed with the water. Mix together, then set aside until needed.
- In another separate bowl, cream together vegan butter/margarine and sugar until it is as light and fluffy as possible. This is an important step - it must be mixed well.
- Add the linseed/flaxseed and water mix, bit by bit, to the sugar and ‘butter’ mixture. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the treacle/molasses.
- Carefully, without beating, fold in the flour and spices.
- Stir in the soaked dried fruit and candied peel. Then stir in the almonds and the grated lemon and orange zests.
- Carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
- Bake in the preheated oven on the lower shelf for between 4 hours 25 mins and 4 hours 45 mins. Do not open the oven door before the cake has been baking for at least 4 hours.
- When the cake is baked (use a thin skewer to test the cake is cooked).
- Let the cake cool fully. Once cooled, you can 'feed' it with more brandy up skewering some holes in it and pouring a couple of tablespoons over the cake.
- Optional: You can ‘feed’ the cake with extra brandy/rum. Strip off the lining papers, and make holes by using a thin skewer or darning needle in the top of the cake. Pour over a few teaspoons of brandy/whiskey to soak into the cake. If you wish, you can do this at repeating intervals for a week or two.
- Store in an airtight tin. Make sure it is well wrapped in two layers of greaseproof paper. Decorate just before you plan on eating it!
To Decorate
- Melt the apricot jam in a pan on a low heat so it doesn't burn. This should only take a few minutes.
- Pass the jam through a sieve to remove any chunky bits.
- Brush the jam over the cake.
- In whatever pattern or design you wish, gently push the nuts and glacé cherries onto the cake. Check out the photos in the main post for inspiration.
- The jam will act like a sticky glue. Leave to set on the cake.
Claudia Lamascolo says
A delicious alternative being vegan thanks for posting!
Vanessa Sturman says
Thank you! Yes, it's so important vegans have ALL the yummy cake too!
Tara says
So much flavor packed into this cake! I especially love all the tips to help make it perfect. Such a wonderful holiday treat.
Vanessa Sturman says
Thank you so much. Yes, all those tips are important so we get the best cake. We love spreading our tips and help. Enjoy!
Andrea says
Wow! This Christmas cake sounds absolutely amazing! Can't wait to taste it.
Vanessa Sturman says
Yay! I had to stop myself eating it all before Christmas when I made it 🤣 Thank goodness it freezes well!
Jyoti Behrani says
This Christmas cake turned out fabulous! Thanks for sharing all the tips, very helpful!
Vanessa Sturman says
Oh how wonderful to hear! So glad it turned out so well for you. Enjoy!
Ana F. says
I made this Vegan Christmas Cake for my family and nobody guessed it was vegan! It was so delicious and the flavors were perfect together. Thanks for the recipe!
Vanessa Sturman says
Ha ha how wonderful! No you could never guess would you?! So happy everyone enjoyed it! Merry Christmas!
Sue Fisher says
How much flour ?
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
HI Sue,
The flour needed is ▢225 g (1¾ cups) plain white flour -
You can find the quantities listed in 'other cake ingredients' in the recipe card. Hope that helps!