Amazing avocado gluten-free vegan Christmas cake recipe

Name: Amazing avocado gluten-free vegan Christmas cake recipe
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: one 18cm diameter cake.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 1 avocado, 180g flesh; 150g brown sugar; 50g black treacle (molasses); 100g orange juice; 10g (4 tsp) ground chia seeds; 3 tsp ground mixed spice; 400g mixed dried fruit, your choice; 150g shelled, halved pecans (optional); 100g gluten-free white flour mix; ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda; jam to brush on the cake; 150g egg-free marzipan for the top, rolled 7mm thick

Dan Lepard

January 3, 2018

Keep everyone happy with a wedge of cake. William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Makes:one 18cm diameter cake.

You feel guilty if you don't have any Christmas cake, but a whole cake can be too much. So, give your friends a wedge of this amazing avocado Christmas cake, together with a bottle of Australian bubbly, and everyone's happy. The avocado helps smooth the texture and flavour of this gluten-free vegan cake, but is hidden behind the rich spices and fruit, so all you're left with is a winning wedge of Chrissie tradition.

Ingredients

1 avocado, 180g flesh
150g brown sugar
50g black treacle (molasses)
100g orange juice
10g (4 tsp) ground chia seeds
3 tsp ground mixed spice
400g mixed dried fruit, your choice
150g shelled, halved pecans (optional)
100g gluten-free white flour mix
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
jam to brush on the cake
150g egg-free marzipan for the top, rolled 7mm thick

Extra white piping icing

80g icing sugar
15g coconut milk

Method

Mash the avocado flesh until smooth in a saucepan with the brown sugar, molasses and orange juice, then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and beat in the ground chia and spice, followed by the dried fruit, nuts, flour and baking soda.
Stir until evenly combined, spoon into a deep 18cm-diameter round cake tin lined with non-stick paper on the base and side, then bake at 140C (120C fan-forced) for 2 hours. A skewer poked in should come out very dry. (Cook it further than you would a regular fruit cake).
Leave to cool in the tin, then brush the top of the cake with a little warmed jam, and cover just the top with a disc of marzipan. Cover, and leave for a few days to set.
For gifts, cut cake into wedges. To make the piping icing, mix the icing sugar and coconut milk until smooth and spoon into a piping bag. Pipe a simple lace pattern on top of each wedge. When set, place each wedge on a card or foil base and wrap with cellophane.
More of Dan Lepard's DIY Christmas hamper recipes here