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This Gluten Free Fruit Cake is a classic British bake, perfect for a teatime treat. A simple fruit cake recipe packed with sultanas, raisins and mixed fruit peel, with orange and mixed spice. It’s rich, fruity, and simple to make for any occasion.
Notes On This Gluten Free Fruit Cake Recipe
If you love my Gluten Free Christmas Cake then this is the perfect year-round bake for you! A simpler, quicker version of this festive treat, packed with dried fruit.
Fruit cake is a traditional British bake, served with a cup of tea. This gluten free fruit cake is based on my Gluten Free Simnel Cake recipe, and is a lighter version of its festive counterpart.
Unlike with Christmas cake, the dried fruit it simmered with orange juice and mixed spice, before being mixed into the cake batter and baked low and slow.
It also does not need to be matured and fed with alcohol every couple of weeks – you can simply bake this fruit cake and enjoy straight away!
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a printable recipe card below for this easy gluten free fruit cake recipe with the full quantities. But here are the main ingredients and ideas for any swaps.
- Mixed Dried Fruit and Peel: I usually buy a pre-mixed bag of sultanas, raisins, currants and candied peel. Feel free to make your own mix up – you can also add finely chopped dates, prunes and dried apricots if you like.
- Glacé Cherries: These add a pop of colour but you can omit if you don’t like them, or swap them for any of the fruits mentioned above.
- Orange: You can swap this for a lemon if you prefer.
- Mixed Spice: This is a mixture of spices, in the UK you can buy it premixed. It contains a mixture of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, coriander nutmeg and sometimes mace.
- Dark Brown Sugar: This makes for a darker, richer cake. Or use light brown sugar if you prefer a slightly lighter, less-treacly finish.
- Butter: Or swap for a vegan margarine to make this a gluten and dairy free fruit cake.
- Eggs
- Plain Gluten Free Flour: I use the FREEE Plain Gluten Free Flour – any plain gluten free plain or all purpose flour will suit this recipe.
- Xanthan Gum: You can omit this if your flour blend already contains this.
- Baking Powder: Ensure you are using a gluten free baking powder.
- Ground Almonds: For a nut-free version you can substitute this for additional gluten free flour, but the ground almonds really help with the finished texture of the cake.
How to Make a Gluten Free Fruit Cake
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free fruit cake is to make.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: This cake will keep really well in an airtight container, I’ve often still got some going strong after a couple of weeks! Do not store in the fridge.
TO FREEZE: You can freeze this easy gluten free fruit cake whole or in slices – then just defrost at room temperature when needed.
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Gluten Free Fruit Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 g mixed dried fruit and peel, a mixture of sultanas, raisins, currants and candied peel
- 120 g halved glacé cherries
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 200 g dark brown sugar
- 200 g butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 175 g plain gluten free flour
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 150 g ground almonds
Instructions
- Add the mixed fruit, cherries, orange zest and juice and the mixed spice to a saucepan along with 2 tbsp water. Place on a low heat and cook with the lid on, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. (Alternatively you can microwave in a bowl for 2 minutes.)
- Grease your cake tin with butter and then line it with baking paper, approximately an inch higher than the cake tin. Preheat the oven to 150C / Fan 130C / Gas mark 2.
- Add the butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until creamed.
- In a separate bowl, mix the gluten free flour, baking powder and xanthan gum to combine. Add this to the butter/sugar mixture along with the ground almonds and eggs. Beat again with the electric whisk until just combined – don’t over-mix.
- Pour in the fruits and all the juices from the pan and fold this into the cake mix using a spatula.
- Spoon into the lined cake tin and smooth out in an even layer. Bake in the oven for 2 hours, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin before slicing.
Video
Nutrition
More Easy Gluten Free Baking Recipes
If you like this Gluten Free Fruit Cake recipe then make sure you check out these other gluten free baking recipes too…
- Gluten Free Rock Cakes
- Gluten Free Tea Loaf
- Gluten Free Malt Loaf
- Gluten Free Scones
- Gluten Free Welsh Cakes
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