For several years I've been making a very scrumptious raw vegan fruit cake for Christmas. If you're not a fan, pretty please stay with me on this one. As a kid I always thought fruit cake was gross. My mom served it every year with a special sauce - I ate whatever other dessert option was available instead. BUT everything changed when I ate Snowdrop's raw fruit cake and I proceeded to make it every year since 2008. I also adapted the recipe to be a bit easier than the original. It's a really delicious dense, spiced raw cake.
Christmas Fruitcake
A sweet, dense, fruit and nut based cake spiced with citrus, ginger, and almond extract. It's best frosted with a thick layer of coconut whipped cream and garnished with pecans and dried cherries. Make individual mini cakes, or a large cake and slice into pieces.
Cake Dough
1 cup almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup cashews
3/4 cup packed dates
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 orange, juiced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 teaspoon almond extract
1 " ginger, minced
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Grind the almonds, coconut, and cashews in a food processor. Set aside.
Blend all the remaining ingredients in the food processor until blended.
Add the dry mixture back in and process to combine into a dough.
Fold in the fruit and nuts (below).
Press the dough in a cake mold of your choice. I like to use a 7" spring form pan with a cup in the middle to make a bunt looking cake. Or use 4" spring form pans and make a hole in the center. Chill.
Fruit and Nuts
I like to use a combination of dried cherries, raisins, mulberries, goji berries, and pineapple. Chop any bigger fruits like pineapple or mango, and use unsulfured fruit whenever you can. The original recipe included making candied nuts in the dehydrator but after making it a few times, I discovered that it's just as tasty to add plain nuts and cuts down on time.
3/4 cup dried fruit
1/4-1/2 cup fresh fruit juice
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Toss the fruit and juice together and marinate for 1/2 - 1 hour (or longer).
Aren't they cute? Thin the chilled coconut whipped cream with extra coconut milk and spoon over the cakes for a drizzle effect.
Whipped Cream Topping
1 cup full fat coconut milk
3/4 cup cashews
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
Blend all but the coconut oil until smooth and a high speed blender (important for the cashews to be completely broken down for proper thickening).
Add the oil and blend to incorporate.
Pour into a large shallow pan and chill in the fridge for 12 hours (if you want to speed up the firming, freeze for 1 hour and then put back into the fridge).
Remember the Mandarin Orange Cheesecake I posted in my last post? I've made it again but with a few changes:
- I made mini cheesecakes in 4" spring form pans. - A chocolate crust (which I think goes so nicely with orange. - Omitted the pomegranate powder this time as I realize not many people have access to that and it still turns out great. -I topped it with pomegranate seeds since I omitted the powder. - I also swapped the cacao butter for coconut butter since someone who wanted to make it couldn't get cacao butter. It's just as great!
I won't be making any fruit cakes this year because J and I are off to Cuba for Christmas tomorrow!!! We're so excited! I wish you a wonderful holiday season and happy new year.
To satisfy your chocolate cravings, download a copy of my Raw Chocolate Dream eBook now! All recipes are vegan, raw, gluten free, and refined sugar free.
