Vegan Christmas cake

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Put the sultanas, raisins, cherries and mixed peel into a large bowl, and pour over the orange juice. Soak overnight, then strain away the juice.

2. Step 2

   Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 18cm cake tin with baking paper. Pour the soya milk into a jug and stir in the cider vinegar. Allow to stand for a few minutes to curdle and become a buttermilk.

3. Step 3

   In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, spices and a pinch of salt. Using your fingers, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, then fold in the buttermilk mixture to form a batter. Add the soaked fruit, stirring to fully coat it in the batter. Tip the mixture into the lined cake tin, transfer to the oven and bake for 45 mins.

4. Step 4

   Reduce the oven to 160C/140c fan/gas 3 and bake the cake for a further 1 hour until a cake skewer comes out clean. Once removed from the oven, prick the top of the cake all over with a fork, then allow to cool fully before removing from the cake tin.

5. Step 5

   To feed the cake, once it is cool, spoon over 1-2 tbsp of alcohol. Wrap in baking paper and keep in a container in a cool place. Feed the cake weekly with 1 tbsp of alcohol.

6. Step 6

   When you are ready to ice the cake, brush the top and sizes of the cake with apricot jam. Roll out the marzipan and smooth it onto the cake, pressing it around the sides neatly and trimming the excess. Roll out the icing and smooth onto the cake in the same way. Finish with any other festive decorations, and a ribbon around the base.