Ingredients....

.¼ cup golden raisins

¼ cup black raisins (seedless)

¼ cup cashews

¼ cup chopped candied orange peels or candied citrus peels

8 dried apricots

8 to 9 dates – small to medium-sized

¼ cup tutti frutti – optional

2 tablespoons dried cherries or glazed cherries

1 cup rum or 1 cup fresh orange juice or apple juice

1.5 cups all-purpose flour – 187 grams

1 cup whole wheat flour – 120 grams

1.5 cups demerara sugar – 250 grams – can also add instead 250 grams brown sugar or 250 grams white sugar or 250 grams powdered sugar/confectioner’s sugar

1 cup oil or melted butter, use any neutral flavored oil

1 cup soy milk or any nut milk or dairy milk

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence

stir nicely.

Preparations...

Start by chopping all the nuts and dried fruits. Put them in a bowl and pour rum to soak them into it.

Cover the bowl and let the dried fruits and nuts soak in rum for 24 hours to upto 3 days. Stir the bowl every few hours so that the drief fruits and nuts get soaked properly.

Meanwhile, in a grinder, pour all the spices together except ginger powder. Set aside.

Also, prepare a loaf pan by greasing it with a generous coating of oil. You can even line up the an with butter paper.

Now preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes.

Take a bowl and sieve flours, baking powder and the ground powdered spice mix. Add a pinch of ginger powder as well.

Add the soaked dried fruits and nuts and the leftover rum in this.

Now add the oil and demerara sugar/brown sugar/regular white sugar. Add a few drops of vanilla extract. Mix all the ingredients until well combined.

Now in a bowl add soy milk, apple cider vinegar and stir gently.

Pour some baking soda and stir nicely.

Now pour this batter in the already prepared baking pan. Even out the top layer with the help of the back of the spatula.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until the cake is golden brown in colour.

Check its doneness by pricking a toothpick. Once done, let the cake cool down completely by placing it on a wire rack.

Your Xmas eggless fruit cake is ready to be served and relished with a nice cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate.