Chocolate fruit cake

Chocolate Fruit Cake

A fruit cake is a very versatile thing. It works well without gluten, eggs and lactose but is open to the addition of so many good things such as chocolate and spice! This is a very comforting cake yet so easy to make.  

Ingredients:

175g unsalted butter/dairy free margarine

140g dark chocolate

3 tablespoons potato starch

10 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

250g plain gluten free flour

130g soft brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

10 green cardamom pods

1 pinch salt

225 g mixed dried fruit

3 teaspoons cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 160C/fan 140C and grease and line the base of a 10 inch loose bottomed cake tin.

Pop the dark chocolate into the microwave for 2 minutes. Mix the potato starch and water in a bowl and set to one side.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter/margarine until softened. Grate the apple into the bowl including the skin. Add the sugar and beat until soft. Pour in the melted dark chocolate, potato starch mixture, oil and continue to beat.

In a small pan over a medium heat, add the fennel seeds and cardamom pods and warm for about a minute until the seeds begin to pop and are browned. Grind the fennel and cardamom in a pestle and mortar until the seeds are ground. Sieve the ground spices into the cake mixture and discard the cardamom skins. Next add the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, cocoa powder and salt and mix to combine. Add the mixed fruit and beat to combine. Pour into the prepared tin and level the surface.

Pop into the oven for about 90 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and remove the cake from the tin to cool on a wire rack.