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Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake – Fruit Cake

December 18, 2017 By Richa 51 Comments

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, dates, seeds, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. 

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. #veganricha #vegan #glutenfree | VeganRicha.com

I am not sure why fruit cakes have a bad rap. They used to be a treat we would wait for around Christmas. Soft, Sweet, full of fun stuff for us kids I guess. Maybe we just lucked out with a fabulous bakery. 🙂

I make versions of my Spelt spiced fruit cake if not baking a load of cookies every year. This version is adapted from spelt flour version. I use almond flour and rice flour to keep it gluten-free. The cake keeps well refrigerated for a few weeks if you use liquor or a week with orange juice. Serve as is or with a bourbon/rum glaze! Add nuts or seeds that you like, some dates, apricots, cherries. I also added some roasted sunflower seeds and chia seeds, so the cake is also great to snack on. 

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. #veganricha #vegan #glutenfree | VeganRicha.com

More gluten-free baking from the blog

  • Gluten-free Cinnamon Roll Bread yeast-free. 
  • Sweet Potato Crumb Cake. 
  • Gluten-free Brownies
  • Sweet Potato Blondies. 
  • Gluten-free Lemon Donuts
  • And many more here

If you make this cake or any of the above gf bakes, let me know how they turned out! Send me pictures, Tag me on social media. 

Soak the nuts, seeds, dried and candied fruit in orange juice or juice + liquor.

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. #veganricha #vegan #glutenfree | VeganRicha.com

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. #veganricha #vegan #glutenfree | VeganRicha.com

Whisk all the dry ingredients, them combine with the wet. 

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. #veganricha #vegan #glutenfree | VeganRicha.com

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. #veganricha #vegan #glutenfree | VeganRicha.com

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. #veganricha #vegan #glutenfree | VeganRicha.com

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. #veganricha #vegan #glutenfree | VeganRicha.com
Print Recipe
4.73 from 11 votes

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake - Fruit Cake

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, dates, seeds, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. 
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Vegan
Servings: 10
Calories: 231kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (236.59 ml) orange juice or a combination with liquor (upto half cup of rum, brandy, whiskey or a mix)
  • 1.25 to 1.5 cups (180 g) dried fruits and nuts (I use pecans, cashews, walnuts, roasted sunflower seeds, candied ginger, currants, chopped dates, candied orange peel, cherries/apricots etc)
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds (not optional as they help thicken the leftover orange juice. You an use 1.5 tbsp flax seed meal as a sub)
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup (55 g) light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp oil (I use organic safflower)
  • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (80 g) white rice flour
  • 3/4 cup (84 g) almond flour
  • 1/4 cup (40 g) potato starch
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) citric acid , optional **
  • 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

  • Add juice, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and chia seeds to a bowl and mix. Let sit refrigerated for a few hours to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Line a loaf pan with parchment or grease it. 
  • Take the juice bowl out from the fridge. Add sugar, oil and vanilla to the bowl and mix in until sugar is combined. In another bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk. (You can omit the citric acid from the dry. I like the air it adds to gluten-free baked goods. See my glutenfree cinnamon roll bread post for details about the use of citric acid) 
  • Combine the dry and wet and mix to make a batter. Drop in parchment lined pan.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick from the center of the cake. it should come out almost clean. Bake longer if needed. 
  • Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. Cool completely before slicing (cool lightly covered by a towel). Store on the counter covered for upto 2 days, refrigerate for upto 10, freeze for upto 2 months. If using liquor, you can store the cake on the counter and refrigerator for longer. 

Notes

Glaze options: You can glaze this cake with some fruit preserves heated up and mixed with rum or bourbon. Or heat 2 tbsp vegan butter, 4 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp liquor until sugar dissolves to make a smooth glaze.
 
Make this with regular flour, use 1.25 to 1.5 cups of spelt flour or a mix of whole wheat and all purpose. or use my spiced fruit cake recipe
 
** See Citric acid use above in the post. To sub, just omit it and add a tbsp more almond flour. 
You can also use whipped aquafaba. Whip 3 tbsp aquafaba until soft peaks and fold into the batter just before baking, Use 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp orange juice instead of 1 whole cup in the batter. 
Nutrition is 1 of 10 slices

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake - Fruit Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 231 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 63mg3%
Potassium 216mg6%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 55IU1%
Vitamin C 12.6mg15%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Vegan Gluten free Christmas Cake Fruit Cake full of nuts, dried fruits, candied ginger. Soft, Flavorful and great for gifting. Vegan Soyfree Recipe. #veganricha #vegan #glutenfree | VeganRicha.com

Filed Under: dessert, gluten free, Gluten Free Baking, holiday, soy free

By Richa Hingle

Hi, I am Richa! I am a Recipe Creator, food photographer, videographer, Cookbook Author of Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen & Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen. Love flavor, easy, creative food? then do stop by & try some!
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Comments

  1. SUE says

    December 18, 2017 at 6:03 am

    Richa, you’ve been flooding us with delicious recipes! I will add this to my to-do list. You rock 😁

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 18, 2017 at 10:23 am

      I have 3 more to go i think and I am trying to fit them in before everyone leaves for vacation 🙂 <3 <3

      Reply
  2. Jaycen says

    December 18, 2017 at 6:14 am

    This makes me so happy! As a child (and pre-vegan days as an adult) I used to look forward to receiving my grandmother’s fruitcake every year. She is no longer with us, but the nostalgia is still there. Thank you for sharing this, it will be wonderful to be able to continue her traditions with something everyone can enjoy!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 18, 2017 at 10:28 am

      Thank you. My grandma used to get us the cake from a bakery near her home run by a friend. A small homely shop with all home baked fabulous options. Those are some special memories.

      Reply
  3. K. says

    December 18, 2017 at 6:32 am

    Dear Richa
    I would love to test this receipe but I never use Rice flour. Would it be possible with buckwheat instead?
    Thank you 😉

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 18, 2017 at 8:54 am

      yes, use buckwheat and definitely the potato starch with it.

      Reply
      • K. says

        December 20, 2017 at 3:46 am

        Thank you!
        Will be the cake for Christmas breakfast and tea time! Definitely! 😉
        Merry Christmas!

        Reply
        • Richa says

          December 20, 2017 at 11:41 am

          Awesome!

          Reply
  4. Vijaya says

    December 18, 2017 at 9:57 am

    You are awesome 👏🏻 . Is there a replacement for almond flour,? my daughter is allergic to almonds.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 18, 2017 at 10:21 am

      I have tried different flour combinations before if you see my gluten-free baking category with oat and rice flour combination. Almond flour makes the best texture and moisture so far. You can use oat flour + rice flour + some sunflower seed meal+ more starch and add a 1/2 tsp xanthan gum and make it. Make a thicker batter than pictured, and bake a muffin to see if it bakes well before baking a loaf. If the muffin falls a bit after baking, you can add a bit more flour to the batter and adjust before baking the loaf. You also want to cover the loaf with a kitchen towel while cooling as rice and oat flours loose moisture quickly.

      Reply
  5. Manu says

    December 18, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    Looks delicious!! Is there any replacement could be used for potato starch?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 19, 2017 at 12:30 pm

      It might work with cornstarch, but i havent tried it.

      Reply
  6. trish says

    December 18, 2017 at 7:33 pm

    5 stars
    Wow thank you so much for this recipe! I was wondering…..can I leave out the sugar? And could another starch be used other than potato? corn (non-gmo of course)? …otherwise I can eat everything in this cake….thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 18, 2017 at 7:42 pm

      I havent tried it with corn, but it might work. You can leave out the sugar if you have enough balance of dates, currants, etc dried sweet fruit. Chop the dates small for good distribution of sweetness.

      Reply
  7. SuryaSmiles says

    December 18, 2017 at 8:25 pm

    Thank you Richa. Can’t wait to try this as written. I might also try another loaf with say Bob’s Red Mill GF Flour to regular Flour mix…

    I like its light on the sugar!

    Reply
  8. Lynn says

    December 20, 2017 at 10:03 am

    I’m going to try a pre-mixed gluten-free flour with some almond flour. My guys have been asking for something like the extremely decadent poppy seed cake we used to get for Christmas morning. Thank you for sharing your inspiring recipes! It always brightens my day when I see one in my inbox.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 20, 2017 at 11:40 am

      Awesome! yes many people have made my other recipes with almond flour + bob’s red mill 1 on 1 gf blend for all the other flours and it generally works out fine.

      Reply
  9. Yogita says

    December 20, 2017 at 10:48 am

    Hi Richa,

    Looks delicious ! If using regular flour , can we substitute Einkorn flour for spelt flour?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 20, 2017 at 11:39 am

      yes

      Reply
  10. Sherry says

    December 24, 2017 at 6:13 pm

    5 stars
    I made this today, and it is absolutely delicious with great texture! The only change I made in the recipe is I used buckwheat flour instead of rice flour. I loved fruitcake as a child, but this is much lighter and not so sweet. ❤️

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 24, 2017 at 11:03 pm

      Thats awesome! So glad it turned out great!

      Reply
  11. Fran says

    December 25, 2017 at 4:47 am

    4 stars
    I tried this yesterday’s & the flavor is amazing, but mine didn’t slice well-crumbled after well cooked. I followed you recipe to a T-should the chia have been ground? I used a silicone loaf pan. I will try again because it was scrumptious even if crumbly!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 25, 2017 at 11:30 am

      Try refrigerating it for half an hour and use a serrated knife. It is a pretty sturdy loaf. The edges might be crustier to penetrate, so chilling and a very sharp knife or a serrated knife is helpful to help with easy slicing.

      Reply
      • Erin says

        November 13, 2018 at 5:31 am

        4 stars
        Hello! I just made this cake and it was absolutely delicious. Only problem is that even after refirgerating, it was really crumbly. W hat do you think about adding an egg? Or what would make it stick a little better?
        Thanks!

        Reply
        • Richa says

          November 13, 2018 at 10:07 am

          use a really sharp knife to cut through. It should be too crumbly. You can add a sugar icing. That will help moisten the crumb and also hold it together while slicing.

          Reply
  12. Adi says

    December 26, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Richa,

    This is my first comment, thank you for all your time and effort for sending these amazing and nutritious recipes they are truly a wonderful delicacy, happy holidays to all your members 🙂

    Reply
  13. Gayatri says

    December 30, 2017 at 12:59 pm

    Can we use the rice flour we get in Indian stores ?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 30, 2017 at 1:13 pm

      yes, in the same proportion.

      Reply
  14. Janna says

    January 3, 2018 at 3:37 pm

    I am going to try and make this recipe in my bread machine one of these days but I was wondering if you could recommend a substitute for the oil? Or does leaving it out not affect the cake except for the crust?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      January 3, 2018 at 5:03 pm

      I am not sure if it will work in a bread machine. To sub the oil, you can use smooth nut butter or half smooth nut butter and half applesauce

      Reply
  15. Lena says

    December 8, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    What should we use citric acid for? I just want to see if I should buy it or not.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 29, 2018 at 1:44 am

      I use it to add air into the batter before baking. See write up above the recipe. You can use whiped aquafaba instead

      Reply
  16. Catherine says

    December 9, 2018 at 11:53 pm

    Where are people buying the potato starch from?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 10, 2018 at 11:15 am

      amazon or whole foods

      Reply
  17. Mimi says

    December 15, 2018 at 5:38 pm

    4 stars
    I just made this recipe and it baked really well. Sadly, it is sticking to the bottom of my loaf pan and only partially came out of my pan, which is very disappointing. I did grease the pan. I probably should of used parchment paper. Next year!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 15, 2018 at 9:03 pm

      oh no. i always line the pans with parchment. sometimes the pans lose some of the non stikness with age and some batters tend to stick a bit more than other batters, so i always line the pan. hope it tasted great otherwise

      Reply
      • Mimi says

        December 16, 2018 at 6:45 am

        I will definitely be using parchment next time. My fruit and nut mix was heavy on the fruit side, so I think that contributed to sticking. I did freeze the cake for a bit and it helped release a bit more to make it salvageable for Christmas. Despite the problem, the cake tastes amazing. Just how the fruit cakes of my youth, tasted. I will be making this again. Thank you!

        Reply
        • Richa says

          December 16, 2018 at 10:54 am

          awesome! yes the fruit might have caused extra sticking.

          Reply
  18. Esmé says

    December 22, 2018 at 3:06 am

    5 stars
    I just made this today and it turned out beautifully – absolutely delicious! I was thrilled to find a gluten free version of my favourite Christmas indulgence. Added the citric acid and enjoyed the resulting tang. Thank you, Richa, for a wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 22, 2018 at 3:33 pm

      awesome!

      Reply
  19. Lili says

    December 28, 2018 at 5:20 am

    5 stars
    I juste made your cake and it s perfect. Everybody love it. I used a lot of cranberries and cherries with a orange and lemon juice… yummy! 😋Thank you for your share recipes.🙏😘

    Reply
  20. Nicola Phillips says

    April 12, 2019 at 7:19 am

    5 stars
    Hi, good day to you, i’m new to your site and i love your recipes . i can only use gluten free flour. i would like to know if i can you use Bob red mill all purpose flour for this recipe and other recipe on this site.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      April 12, 2019 at 10:51 am

      bobs gf blend has a lot of rice flour that dries out while baking. I havent had success with just the blend. You can use half of bobs gf blend and half almond flour as almond flour will add moisture and keep it from drying out.

      Reply
  21. Rhiannon says

    August 27, 2019 at 4:14 pm

    Hey, just wondering what ingredients I remove if I want to use spelt flour instead of gluten free?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 27, 2019 at 6:49 pm

      use my spelt flour version here https://www.veganricha.com/2012/12/spiced-fruit-and-nut-christmas-cake.html

      Reply
      • Rhiannon says

        August 28, 2019 at 12:58 am

        Thank you! I have now found the potato starch in the shop so I can follow the full GF recipe now 🙂

        Reply
  22. Alison says

    September 29, 2019 at 5:42 am

    5 stars
    I have made this recipe 3 times substituting arrowroot flour for the potato starch (only because I can’t buy it). The last 2 times I have doubled the mixture because I am trying to perfect it for when it will be the Christmas cake. The last time I soaked the chia seeds separately in 1/2 cup of water overnight- I didn’t have orange juice otherwise I would have used that. The next day, the day of baking, I mixed them into the fruit mixture that had soaked in orange juice for a few hours then followed the recipe. The cake is light and fluffy for g.f – I can’t believe it. I think this is a really good recipe- the cake is moist as well – often g.f. cakes are dry especially the next day after baking.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 29, 2019 at 11:57 am

      Awesome!!! Yes gluten-free baking can easily dry out. the mix of flours, citric acid etc here help keep that mosture in

      Reply
      • Alison Banks says

        September 29, 2019 at 8:44 pm

        Thank you for your reply. So the citric acid is in the recipe for moisture content? I thought it was there for flavour.

        Reply
        • Richa says

          September 29, 2019 at 10:00 pm

          Citric acid is for adding some air in the batter before baking. this allows for moisture to stay in the batter rather than evaporate which it does more quickly with gluten-free baking. It does add a slight citrusy flavor but thats complimentary to the overall flavors in the cake. The main reason though is for lightening up the batter before baking

          Reply
          • Paayel Agarwaal says

            December 11, 2019 at 9:29 pm

            So can citric acid be added to all gluten-free baking if it complimenting the flavour profile?

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Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options. Read more about me and the blog...

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