Vegan Alcohol Free Christmas FruitCake

Ingredients:

1.      2 cups cake flour

2.      1 cup brown sugar

3.      1 cup mix dry fruits (I  use here figs, dates, raisins(black and yellow), apricots) chopped

4.      1 teaspoon baking powder

5.      1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6.      1/2 cup mix nuts (walnut, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts) chopped

7.      1/2 cup candied peel ( I use here mango, papaya, kiwi, strawberries) chopped

8.      1 teaspoon flax seed powder

9.      3/4 cup margarine

10.  1 teaspoon pie spices or you can use dry ginger cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and cardamom powder

11.  Grape juice (soak for the dry fruits)

12.  1/2 cup apple sauce 

For the Caramel:

1.      1/4 cup sugar

2.      1/2 cup boiling hot water

Method:

1.      Soak the dry candied, nuts, fruits along with the required grape juice anywhere between 1 day and 1 year.

2.      Make the caramel in a heavy bottom pan, place the 1/4 cup of sugar and heat slowly.

3.      The sugar will begin to melt, stir this mixture with a spoon slowly as the caramel forms.

4.      When all the sugar crystals have melted, slowly add the boiling water and stir to form a smooth mixture. Cool this completely.

5.      In a mixing bowl, add the margarine add sugar and beat well. Now add flax seed, apple sauce and beat for few minutes.

6.      Sift the flour, baking powder, pie spices, in mixing bowl, add this flour and cooled caramel in margarine slowly and beat again about 4 - 5 min.

7.      Combine in this mixture fruits and the nuts by turns, whisk well.

8.      Grease and line baking tin and add the batter, bake at 180 C for about 60 minutes.

Tips:

* Reduce temperature if your cake up side getting brown other wise it will dark brown. 

* Try storing it for a week before consuming it, to do this wrap the cake in foil and then cover it with cling film.