(Serves 2) / (за 2 лица)

Ingredients
400 g all purpose flour
1 pkg (10 g) baking powder
100 g unrefined cane sugar
*If you want to omit the sugar, you can substitute it for 1 cup of dates
1 pkg (10 g) powdered vanilla sugar (or simply the vanilla extract you usually use)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
250 g dried figs, chopped
400 g dates, chopped
250 g dried plums, chopped
100 g raw hazelnuts, skinned
**I strongly suggest that you buy the hazelnuts already skinned and save yourself the trouble of soaking them in a boiling water/baking soda mixture and peeling them.
100 g walnut halves
125 g raisins, dark
***I found this info while searching for raisin types, so here’s another hint: avoid light-colored dried fruits since SO2 treatment is standard procedure that prevents the product from darkening
Pulp of 1 orange and 1 lemon
****Originally the recipe calls for orange and lemon zest, so if you prefer using zest instead of pulp, please follow my fruit-skin detox tip from this post
4 tbsp lemon juice
125 g regular vegan butter (I use carrot oil based)
6 tbsp soy milk (or plain water)
2 tbsp water
6 tbsp rum
1 ripe banana, pureed

Directions
Take a large bowl and mix the flour and the baking powder. Add sugar, vanilla powder, salt, cinnamon, and the cloves. Mix well. Then add the dried fruits and nuts, as well as the fruit pulp (or zest).

Melt the butter in a separate pan. Remove from stove and add the milk (or water), the lemon juice, the 2 tbsp of water, the rum, and the pureed banana. Add this batter to the fruit and nut mixture and knead. Kneading is over when the mixture is homogeneous (approx. 5 minutes). Place the kneaded dough in a 10 inch round mold lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180°C and bake for 75-90 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

It is recommended that you wrap the cake in aluminium foil and place it in the fridge the following day, because in this way it will be good for at least 10 days.

Enjoy this recipe with your closest girlfriends over a warm cup of sugar-free soy latte. Mmmm!

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I would lie if I say I don’t look forward to Christmas because of my mom’s fruitcake. This time I helped in its preparation and it was that much tastier! Ever since she discovered it in some local food magazine we have been preparing it for Christmas and when friends and relatives come over they just can’t get enough of it (me too, me too!). So if you omit the sugar you get a pretty decent, yet healthy, elegant recipe to serve with your afternoon tea, or some similar fancy ritual you may have going on. Being vegan is easy, don’t you think?

One love,
D