Go Back
Vegan chocolate Christmas cake on a white plate surrounded by whole spices, glasses of rum, jars of dried fruit and chocolate chips and Christmas lights.
Print

Vegan Chocolate Christmas Cake

This vegan chocolate Christmas cake is good enough to convert even the fruit cake haters. It is a rich, moist and boozy vegan fruit cake with the added indulgence of chocolate, and is perfect for the festive season. It is easy to make, moist, rich and delicious. It can be eaten right away or made in advance and matured.
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Keyword cake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Soaking Time 1 hour
Servings 12 people
Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Wet:

  • 700 g (25 oz) mixed dried fruit
  • 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1Tbsp + 1tsp) rum, whisky, brandy or sherry (plus extra for feeding)
  • 175 g (¾ cup) vegan block butter
  • 175 g (1 cup) dark or light brown soft sugar
  • 30 g (1 heaped Tablespoon) black treacle or molasses
  • 160 ml (⅔ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
  • 2 teaspoons cider or white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • finely grated zest of 2 large oranges

Dry:

  • 50 g (½ cup) ground almonds (almond flour)
  • 300 g (2 ⅓ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 50 g (½ cup) cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice or pumpkin spice
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 100 g (⅔ cup) chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Place the mixed dried fruits, alcohol, butter, brown sugar, treacle, milk, vinegar, vanilla extract and orange zest in a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring often, until the butter has melted then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to warm room temperature, about 1 hour.
  • While the mixture is cooling, preheat the oven to 140°C/120°C fan/275°F/gas mark 1. Grease a deep 20 cm/8 inch round cake tin and line it with a double layer of baking parchment.
  • Add the ground almonds to the cooled fruit mixture and sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and cinnamon. Stir with a spatula to form a batter with no dry patches.
  • Add the chocolate chips and gently stir in.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and use a spatula to spread it level. Because it is so thick it doesn't spread much in the oven so it is important that you get it as even as you can.
  • Bake for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre (avoiding any chocolate chips) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. (My cake took 2 ¾ hours to bake).
  • Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes then brush with 1 Tablespoon of your preferred alcohol. Leave to cool in the tin completely (about 8 hours).
  • Once the cake is completely cold, remove it from the tin and brush all over with a little alcohol.
  • Wrap the cake up in baking parchment then tin foil (it MUST be completely cold first), and store in an airtight container, feeding every week or two with alcohol, for up to three months.

Notes

  • See post above for tips, details and step-by-step photos.
  • USE SCALES. As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scales rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!