Phil Vickery: My stir-up Sunday Christmas cake
CRACK on with the Christmas prep with this tempting cake from telly chef Phil Vickery. He prefers the texture of the gluten-free version and, for best results, soaks the fruit in the whisky and lemon juice overnight. And Phil's gluten-free bread recipe is a winter winner, too.
For the cake
75g currants
75g sultanas
350g raisins
50g mixed peel
150ml whisky grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon vegetable oil, for oiling 150g gluten-free flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 1 teaspoon mixed spice 1 tablespoon black treacle 1 tablespoon clear honey
For the top
2 tablespoons smooth apricot jam, warmed
100g mixed glacé fruits, e.g. red or green cherries, ginger, melon or pineapple
50g nuts, e.g. almonds, walnuts, pecan halves
Preparation:
Cooking: topping as it’s so quick and easy! But if you prefer you can decorate it in the traditional way instead with a layer of marzipan topped with some white icing of your choice.
TO STORE: The undecorated cake will keep for up to one month, tightly wrapped in foil in an airtight container.
TO FREEZE: When cold, remove the cake from the tin, wrap in greaseproof paper and two thick layers of foil and freeze in an airtight container. Defrost for three to four hours and when defrosted, decorate as above.
Gluten-Free Bread Mix
Makes:
Preparation:
400g soya flour
200g tapioca flour
400g potato flour
300g cornflour
Mix all the flours together very thoroughly or put into a food processor and pulse until mixed. Store in an
airtight container.