Name: Christmas Fruitcake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 2/3 cup light brown sugar (packed); 1/2 cup vegan butter (melted); 1 teaspoon allspice; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon mace; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 3/4 cup aquafaba; 1/2 cup orange juice; 1/4 cup molasses; 2 tablespoons cognac; 16 ounces candied fruit mix (chopped); 1 cup almonds (chopped); 1 cup dried cranberries; 1 cup dates (chopped)

Christmas Fruitcake ~

This classic Old English style fruitcake is rich, easy to make, and perfect for the holiday season!

This post could also be titled, “Grandma’s Fruitcake Goes Vegan.”

Ever since we were married almost 14 years ago, I have heard all about my husband’s grandmother’s fruitcake.

And then one day I was deemed worthy of receiving this “secret family recipe.”

I immediately fell in love with the way it was written – very non-specific directions and clearly written by a person who cooked a lot.

This was years ago and, at that time, I had never even heard of mace that but did find it on the spice aisle at my supermarket so maybe it’s not such an obscure ingredient as I originally thought.

Anyway, I now have mace in my spice cabinet and I literally never use it for anything other than this fruitcake. Totally worth it.

I had followed the original recipe with great success for years; Grandma’s fruitcake became a Christmas staple in my own home.

So when I went vegan back in 2016, there was no way I was giving up this tradition.

Really, the only changes I made were swapping dairy butter for vegan and replacing the eggs.

For this updated fruitcake recipe, aquafaba is used in place of the eggs.

In case you’re not familiar with aquafaba – it’s the brine, or “juice” from a can of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) and it binds just like eggs.

This recipe calls for 3/4 cup of aquafaba, the amount you should get from 1 can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans.

I like to use the liquid for the fruitcake and keep the beans to roast for a high protein snack later.

When should I make a fruitcake?

Ideally, about 6 weeks before you plan to serve or gift it.

If you don’t have that much advance time to age the cake, don’t worry, it will still be delicious.

I always say I’m going to do it earlier but then usually end up baking ours the weekend after Thanksgiving and then serve it on Christmas Eve.

Ingredients needed for Christmas Fruitcake:

all-purpose flour
light brown sugar
vegan butter
allspice
cinnamon
ground nutmeg
mace
sea salt
baking soda
aquafaba – the “juice” from a can of garbanzo beans
orange juice
molasses
cognac
candied fruit mix
almonds
dried cranberries
dates

How to make this Christmas Fruitcake:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Combine the dry ingredients. Into a large stand mixer bowl, add flour, brown sugar, butter, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, sea salt, and baking soda. Mix on medium speed until combined.
Add the wet ingredients. To the mixture, pour in aquafaba, orange juice, molasses, and cognac. Continue mixing on low speed until all ingredients are incorporated.
Add fruit and nuts. Stir in candied fruit mix, almonds, dried cranberries, and dates.
Pour batter into a prepared 9″ loaf pan.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Bake again. Cover lightly with foil and continue baking an additional 30 minutes. (Total baking time = 2 hours, 15 minutes) Allow cake to cool completely before moving on to the next step.
To store: Place cheesecloth in a medium-size bowl, then add just enough cognac to make it lightly and evenly damp. (Use your hands to work it through.) Wrap the soaked cheesecloth around the fruitcake then wrap the fruitcake again in a layer of wax paper or parchment paper. This fruitcake can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 6-8 weeks.
Serve room temperature.

Cheers!

Feeling festive? Check out these sweet treats that are great for gifting!

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