This easy Vegan Christmas Cake is rich, moist and boozy. A unique 'no soak' method gives an extra-moist texture with all the traditional festive flavours.
🍴Why you will love this recipe
Both simple to make and incredibly moist, this is a failsafe recipe for a rich and boozy festive fruit cake. Packed with your choice of dried fruits, cherries and nuts, brandy and black treacle - no one will ever guess it is vegan.
If you think soaking the fruit overnight is the only way to make a traditional Christmas cake, think again!
This unique method simmers the fruits in brandy, water and soya milk which makes them very soft and moist, infused with boozy flavour. Yes, that's right - you can make this cake in just one afternoon!
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📝 What you need
Ingredients
Mixed fruit It is entirely up to you whether you use a bag of mixed fruit from the supermarket, (perfect if you're in a hurry or don't want to buy lots of smaller bags), or whether you create your own blend of raisins, currants, dried cranberries, figs, prunes and mixed peel, or any other dried fruits you like!
Glacé cherries I prefer the natural coloured cherries (as pictured above) rather than the very vibrant red ones, but of course it is up to you!
Flours I like to use a mix of white and wholemeal self-raising flour but if you don't want to buy both, use just white self-raising flour.
Soya milk Use an unsweetened soya milk if you can, so as not to make the cake overly-sweet.
Equipment
You will need a good quality cake tin, 22cm is ideal, or 20-21cm for an extra-deep cake (which may take just a little longer to cook through). Mine is this Mary Berry loose-base tin which I love.
👩🏽🍳 How to make your Vegan Christmas Cake
For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page👇🏼.
In a large saucepan, mix the dried fruit, cherries light brown sugar, orange zest, black treacle, dairy-free margarine, brandy, soya milk and water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
Line a 22cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the saucepan - be careful, it will fizz up a lot!
Add the flours, ground almonds and mixed spice and stir until well combined. Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top as much as possible.
Bake the cake for 2-2.5 hours then remove and let cool completely. Feed the cake regularly with brandy or sherry, wrap tightly in baking parchment then foil and keep in an airtight container until needed. To decorate the cake, brush all over with apricot jam then cover with marzipan and icing.
👍🏼 Reader Testimonials
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Just want to congratulate you on an awesome vegan Christmas cake recipe! My son is allergic to milk and missed out on proper Christmas cake last year. I tried 3 or 4 recipes, but this is the best! Not crumbly, at all, lovely flavour. I made this for his School Christmas fair and it worked perfectly. i got several comments on how great this was. I know I will be making this for years to come." Louise
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I love this recipe and it’s been my ‘go to’ fruit cake recipe for a couple of years now. There’s no need to wait for Christmas!" Helen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This cake recipe is great. Instructions are well written and easy to follow. All the ingredients can be purchased in a UK supermarket. Lovely and moist and not sickly sweet, this cake is just right. Highly recommended." Debbie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Very impressed with the recipe and the fact it uses commonly used ingredients." Emma
✏️ Top Tips and FAQs
This really is a straightforward recipe - I would almost say you can't go wrong!
If you vary the dried fruit, just remember to keep the overall weight to 800g and chop larger fruits into pieces of roughly the same size as the raisins.
Yes certainly. You can substitute orange juice for the brandy in the recipe, or just use more water instead - as long as the overall quantity of liquid is the same it doesn't matter which of these you use. You can 'feed' your cake with a simple sugar syrup to keep it extra-moist. I wouldn't recommend feeding it with orange juice as it may go off whilst the cake is maturing.
It depends! On so many variables - your flours, your choice of fruits, how much liquid bubbled away whilst it simmered, and so on. I would start checking it with a skewer or sharp knife from about 1h45min into cooking time, and keep checking every 10 minutes or so until it comes out completely clean. Even better, if you have a cooking thermometer, stick the probe into the cake and it is cooked through when it reaches 98C throughout.
Yes absolutely. Just be aware that the cooking time is greatly reduced for smaller cakes so just keep checking and testing until they are cooked through. I have heard of people making these in old baked bean tins (the type without a rim) which is a great idea, or in individual loose-bottom cake tins. A lovely festive gift from the kitchen!
If the cake starts to look too brown on top but hasn't yet cooked through, cover it with foil. You might want to check it after an hour's cooking to see how the top is looking.
Yes absolutely - I do this all year round. I would recommend swapping the brandy in the recipe for water, and don't feed it with alcohol afterwards. The choice of fruit is up to you - I usually leave out the mixed peel for a non-Christmassy cake and use mostly raisins and currants, but it is entirely up to you!
Before adding marzipan and icing the cake will keep for at least 3-6 months if stored well, (wrapped in a double layer of parchment and foil, in an airtight container in a cool place). Once decorated,
Of course, if you're not a boozy fruit cake kinda person, you might prefer to take a look at these recipes from blogging friends....
- Chloe's Vegan Gingerbread Men from Baked by Clo
- Kate's Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Ginger Frosting from Veggie Desserts
- Rhian's Gluten Free Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake from Rhian's Recipes
or my:
- Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes with cinnamon icing
- Ultimate Vegan Mince Pies with 'cream cheese' pastry
- Vegan Chocolate Yule Log
- Jammy Christmas Star Biscuits
Loved this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a star rating below! 📸 Snap a photo of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram, tagging me @thevegspace or #thevegspace 📩 And get all my latest recipes in a weekly e-mail by subscribing to my newsletter.
🎄 If you liked that...
.... you might also enjoy these vegan Christmas recipes from The Veg Space:
📖 Recipe
Vegan Christmas Cake
Ingredients
- 800 g mixed fruit (or your own mix of currants, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped figs, chopped dates or chopped prunes plus a few tablespoons mixed peel)
- 200 g natural glacé cherries
- 1 orange zest only
- 175 g light brown sugar
- 50 g black treacle
- 340 g dairy-free margarine
- 200 ml water
- 300 ml unsweetened soya milk
- 100 ml brandy or sherry (check it is vegan)
- 2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 225 g wholemeal self-raising flour (or plain wholemeal flour plus 3 teaspoon baking powder)
- 2 teaspoon mixed spice
- 100 g ground almonds
- 4-6 tablespoon brandy, amaretto or sherry (check it is vegan)
Instructions
- Take a very large saucepan and tip in the mixed fruit, glacé cherries, orange zest, light brown sugar, black treacle, dairy-free margarine, water, soya milk and brandy. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Grease a 22cm round or square baking tin, and line it with a double layer of baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 140°C (fan) / 275°F / gas mark 1
- When cooking time is up, carefully stir through the bicarbonate of soda, (the mixture will fizz and rise up the sides of the saucepan so make sure there is enough room to prevent spillages!).
- Stir through both types of flour, the ground almonds and mixed spice. Mix well so that no lumps of flour remain.
- Tip the mixture into your lined baking tin and smooth down the top as much as you can - it will not spread or level itself in the oven.
- Bake for 2 - 2.5 hours, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean - start checking from about 1h45min into cooking time. Leave to cool in the tin.
- To store until needed, wrap in a double layer of baking parchment then a double layer of foil and keep in an airtight tin or container. 'Feed' the cake with brandy, sherry or amaretto every week or so - prick it all over with a cocktail stick then pour over 3-4 tablespoons of alcohol and let it seep into the cake.
- If you wish to decorate the cake in a traditional way, brush it all over with apricot jam, roll out marzipan and cover the cake. Brush the marzipan layer with brandy then cover with rolled fondant icing. 1kg each of marzipan and icing will be sufficient to cover the whole cake.
Video
Nutrition
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Louise says
I am keen to try my first vegan Christmas Cake! I'd like to try Aquafaba (chickpea brine) as an egg replacer. Can you tell me how many eggs you have replaced in this recipe? I see in the comments above you said 4 eggs, but I thought that the standard measure for a flax/chia egg was 1 tbsp per egg (so therefore only 2 eggs replaced)? Thanks
Emma Ticknef says
This is my first attempt at a homemade vegan Christmas cake. Very impressed with the recipe and the fact it uses commonly used ingredients. My cake is currently in the oven and look forward to eating it over the festive season.
Helen Gregory says
Simmer with pan lid on or off? Presumably affects the moist-ness?
Mary says
I’ve just taken the cake out of the oven and sadly it’s burnt on top - i turned the high temperature down after only 30 minutes as I could smell it catching and then it only needed another hour at the lower temp. I followed the recipe and oven temps exactly so maybe I have a ‘hot’ oven. I’m hoping that I can simply slice off the burnt bits!!
Barbara Straughn says
Hi Kate
this is the most awesome cake but I've made it two years running now and it's a little too moist and falls apart - not sure what I am doing wrong. I left out the water and chia seeds last Christmas but still too moist even to add brandy.
Kate Ford says
Hi Barbara, It might be that you need to cook it for longer - all ovens are different and some people say they have added up to an extra 45 minutes to the cooking time. Hope that helps. Kate
Alison says
This was delicious Kate, and has been much appreciated by us and by guests. I just plain iced it.
Also made your Christmas pudding which was excellent too.
Thank you!
Kate Ford says
Fantastic! So glad to hear it, thanks Alison x
Debbie says
This cake recipe is great. Instructions are well written and easy to follow. All the ingredients can be purchased in a uk supermarket. The cake is lovely and moist and not sickly sweet, if you wanted a sweeter cake perhaps thicker marzipan and icing, but personally this cake is just right.
Highly recommended.
Thanks very much for sharing:)
Kate Ford says
So glad you liked it - thanks Debbie!
Louise says
Hi, just want to congratulate you on an awesome vegan cake recipe!
My son is allergic to milk and missed out on proper Christmas cake last year. I tried 3 or 4 recipes, but this is the best! Not crumbly, at all, lovely flavour.
I made this for his School Christmas fair and it worked perfectly. i got several comments on how great this was.
I added a few spoons of spice to make it like my usual Christmas cake (mixed spice and nutmeg), but basically stuck to the recipe. i know i will be making this for years to come.
Kate Ford says
Fantastic - so great to hear!
Beth says
Hi Kate, I don't have any treacle, can I use maple syrup or golden syrup instead??
Kate Ford says
If you can, try to get hold of some treacle as it is what makes this cake so 'Christmassy', but if not yes try golden syrup rather than maple, but use a bit less as it is so sweet!
Cathy says
Great recipe, we used milled flax for ours. Cake rose brilliantly. Decorated with marzipan and a Cosmic design. Trying without alcohol soaking, will post about longevity and moisture of cake. Thank you Kate .
Kate Ford says
Great to hear!
Mai Ling McClurg says
Hi Kate,
This looks amazing and this year will our first began Xmas so we’re very excited to make all the traditional goodies as vegan .
I have prepared my own vegansweet mince for mince pies etc. and it has sherry in it. Would I be able to use this for the mixed fruit . It would save me preparing another batch kid I have made so much.
Catherine says
Hi - I was wondering - do you think I could substitute half the amount of margarine with refined coconut oil? I just worry about the taste of the margarine.
I’m very keen to make this, and will be adding some spices and nuts as well as some other commenters have mentioned! 🙂
Kate Ford says
Yes I'm sure that would work fine. Let me know how it goes!
Lorna Perkins says
Hi there, am planning to make this cake with my daughter this weekend - however, I really like flaked almonds or other nuts in my fruit cake - can I add any to this recipe? And if so should I receive any of the fruit weights accordingly to allow for the nut inclusion?
Kate Ford says
Hi Lorna, Yes you can certainly add nuts, no need to reduce the fruit (unless you are planning to add LOTS!!!). Hope it goes well x
Rachel Knox says
Can I substitute whole chia seeds for the ground ones specified? I ask because I see other recipes that used whole ones. Bought the wrong ones, I'm afraid. Thanks!
Kate Ford says
Hi Rachel, they won't really turn gloopy and egg-like in the same way - if you have any way of whizzing them up in a blender or pestle and mortar that would help a bit! Or else leave them soaking overnight before adding them. Hope it goes well x
Rachel Knox says
Thanks! I ground them up a bit, and they went all gloopy and the cake has come out just fine. Just feeding it with brandy now 🙂 It smells good.
Carol Ann Nightingale says
I have this cake in the over at the moment, have made it for my Grandaughter who is vegan and also dairy intolerant, it is my first attempt so I am hoping she loves it, 15mns to go! It looks gorgeous. Report review after Xmas. Thanks lots
Kate Ford says
Lovely! Let me know how it turns out x
Pat Ring says
can I substitute the flour for rice flour, so that the cake is also gluten free please?
Kate Ford says
Hi Pat, sorry I've never tried this so really can't tell you either way. Apologies.
Alison Wells says
Hi Kate, I've just made this cake and it looks really good. Shame we have to wait a few weeks for Christmas to try it! I'm a big fan of your recipes - they always work. Last week I made the Victoria Sponge and it was fantastic - very much better than any I made before being vegan. The rise was amazing. And it lasted all week. Many thanks for your recipes. I've bought vega in 15 minutes and it's great, but I come back to the blog again and again.
Kate Ford says
That's so lovely to hear, thanks Alison! Hope you enjoy the cake, it will be worth waiting for I promise!
Dani Carbery says
I had to increase the secondary cooking time by an hour. But it's seems to be cooked through now. Smells fab!
Angela says
Hi Kate
Happy New Year and thank you!
This recipe is great. I made an 8" and 4" with the recipe as my tins were a different size.
I wanted to make it in a 25cm/10" tin. and a 6"/ 15cm tin.
How would I go about changing the quantities please?
Many thanks
Angela
Saraah says
Hello,
Would it be possible to tweak this recipe? I have left my cake making to the last minute (accidentally), so I wanted to soak the mixed fruit overnight in alcohol. Could I not add the mixed fruit to the simmering step, and just add it in just before the bicarb soda step?
Thank you!
thevegspace says
Hi Sarah, I definitely wouldn 't skip simmering the fruit, that's the most important bit to make the cake really moist and tasty. I really wouldn't worry about having left it late - I would make the cake exactly as per the recipe, then just feed the cooked cake twice with booze in the time you have left - once upside-down so the alcohol soaks into what will end up as the top of the cake, then once the other way up so the alcohol soaks to the bottom. It will still taste brilliant! Happy Christmas xx