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Mary Berry Gluten Free Christmas Cake Recipe

Mary Berry Gluten Free Christmas Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's gluten free Christmas cake is a rich, dark, brandy-soaked fruit cake that is naturally gluten free — no compromise on flavour or texture.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 16 Slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 410
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Fruit Soak Night Before:
  • 1 kg mixed dried fruit
  • 100 g dried cranberries
  • 100 g mixed peel
  • 100 g glacé cherries halved and rinsed
  • 150 ml brandy or dark rum — plus more for feeding
  • Cake:
  • 250 g unsalted butter softened
  • 250 g dark muscovado sugar
  • 1 tbsp black treacle
  • 5 large eggs beaten
  • 150 g gluten free plain flour blend with xanthan gum, sifted
  • 100 g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice, ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp mace, ¼ tsp cloves
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda certified gluten free
  • 75 g blanched almonds roughly chopped
  • Zest of 1 unwaxed orange and 1 unwaxed lemon

Method
 

  1. Soak all fruit in brandy overnight — cover tightly.
  2. Preheat oven to 140°C / 120°C fan / Gas 1. Line tin with double parchment. Wrap outside with double brown paper.
  3. Beat butter, muscovado, and treacle 4–5 minutes. Add beaten eggs gradually — add a tbsp of gluten free flour if curdling threatens.
  4. Sift in gluten free flour with all spices and bicarbonate of soda. Add ground almonds, chopped almonds, and citrus zests — fold gently. Add all soaked fruit and liquid — fold through completely.
  5. Spoon into tin. Smooth — make a slight hollow in the centre. Bake 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours until skewer comes out clean.
  6. Cool completely in tin. Remove — keep parchment on. Pierce base 15–20 times. Feed with 1–2 tbsp brandy. Wrap tightly. Feed weekly until Christmas.

Notes

Use a gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum — binding is essential in this dense cake.
Check every ingredient is certified gluten free — spices, bicarbonate of soda, and dried fruit can all contain traces.
Ground almonds are not a compromise — they actively improve the texture.
Same method as the standard Christmas cake — overnight soak, low oven, weekly brandy feeding.
Make in October for the best result — feed weekly until Christmas.
Keeps wrapped for 4 months. Freezes un-iced for 6 months.
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