A little late, but Easy, Vegan Fruitcake.

You are  a fruitcake.

Just joking! How was your Christmas? Good, I hope.
Me? I finished nightshift at the hospital at 7:30 am had a nap and then awoke to some amazing presents (not that that's what it's all about) from my favourite person in the world. We then scuttled off to Gordy's mum's house for lunch and then my mum's house for dinner. They both went to so much trouble to make me a wonderful meal. So beautiful.
Last week, we went to a Christmas lunch put on by a friend. As I had been working nightshift, I hadn't prepared any food to bring with me. The savoury food was easy when it came to finding something vegan. I had mushrooms and a bean salad. When it came to dessert, I thought I would only be eating the fruit, until my lovely friend told me of the ingredients in the fruitcake that she had made. The cake was tangy and delicious and sounded simple to make.
I went home and googled  the recipe. I looked at quite a few different ones and read all the comments to come up with a recipe that took all of their trials and tribulations into account. It was so delicious. I fed it to my family for dessert on Christmas night and not one person made a comment about it being vegan, as they usually do. They all quite enjoyed their cake. This recipe is probably a little late in timing but it's a good one to remember, none the less. It makes a relatively healthy snack, even if you bake one and cut it up into pieces to freeze for work and school lunches.

Time: Overnight to soak, ten minutes to prepare, 1.5 to 2 hours to cook.
Serves: Many. About 16. 

Ingredients:

• One kilo (2. 2pounds) of dried fruit.
•  2 Cups of orange juice. I've seen that some people find this too tangy. If you're not a fan of the tang, maybe try half OJ, half water or half apple juice.
• 2 Cups of self raising flour.
• Half a teaspoon of cinnamon.
• Half a teaspoon of cloves.
• Half a teaspoon of nutmeg.
• One Tablespoon of rum (pirate talk, optional).

Method:

Soak the dried fruit in a bowl with the orange juice overnight.
The next day, add the other ingredients to the bowl and give it all a good stir.
Now, you can either make one cake or two. I made two medium sized loaves and took one to work and one to the family dinner. Make sure whatever pan you put them in is either non-stick, well greased or lined with baking paper so the cake doesn't stick.
Place in the oven at 160C/ 320F for an hour. At this time, check that the cake is cooked  by sticking a skewer in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's ready. If not, place back in the oven and cook for a further 30 mins. Repeat the skewer action. It should be ready if you have made the loaves, but one whole cake may take another 30 minutes.
All ovens are created different. You know your oven better than I do so have a play and see what works for you. The cakes shouldn't need longer than 2 hours.

Serve with custard and enjoy any time of the year. x