Fruity, full of texture and flavors from the spices, this Vegan Fruit Loaf Cake is perfect for Christmas and also very simple to make! It's also a lovely sweet option, you know, for any time!
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Line a 1 lb loaf tin with parchment paper.
In a saucepan, add sugar, plant-based milk, mixed dried fruits, vegan spread, and salt. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Stir to mix all together.
Cook the mixture for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it cool down a bit.
In a big mixing bowl, add the rest ingredients: flour, ground cinnamon, mixed spice, ground nutmeg, ground clove. Mix all together evenly.
Once the fruit mixture has cooled down, add it to the dried mixture. Use a spatula to mix all ingredients together. There should not be any flour seen.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Spread out the mixture evenly. If you have prepared chopped hazelnuts, sprinkle them on top of the batter.
Bake in the oven at 175°C/350°F for 40~45 minutes. Use a small knife or toothpick to insert in the middle of the cake. If there's no batter on it, it's done.
Place the loaf cake in the tin on a cooling rack to cool down completely. Use a sharp knife to slice the loaf cake and enjoy!
**Gluten-free self-rasing flour: I use a store-bought mixture (this one from Doves Farm) and it turns out really lovely. If you don't have self-raising flour, you can use a common gluten-free flour mix and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder. The other one I heard people often use with success is this one from Bob's Red Mill. But for this one, make sure to add baking powder.
Storage: Store in an air-tight container. If you're in a cooler country, this loaf fruit cake will be fine for 5~7 days at room temperature and 2~3 weeks in the freezer. But if you're in a tropical/warmer country, I will say that it's better to store them in the fridge for 5 days or 2~3 weeks in the freezer. When about to serve, let the cake slice defrost at room temperature or reheat it in the oven at 160C for 5~10 minutes depending on the state of the slice.