The Best Ever Vegan Fruit Cake
A version of the classic Bolo Rainha, without eggs and without milk, but flavorsome nonetheless! The cinnamon and citrus zest make this cake incredibly tasty. Perfect for sharing with family and friends during the Christmas season.
Ingredients
- 230 grams soy milk unsweetened
- 30 grams fresh yeast or 11 gr of dry yeast
- 100 grams sugar white, 1 tablespoon for the yeast mixture and the rest for the dough
- 100 grams margarine and extra for brushing (I used one with 59% fat)
- zest of one lemon
- zest of one orange
- 30 grams Port wine or brandy
- 530 grams flour
- 30 grams potato starch
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp turmeric optional
- 220 grams nuts (70 g walnuts, 50 g cashews, 50 g hazelnuts, 50 g sliced almonds), plus extra for decoration
- 50 grams raisins dark
- agave syrup for brushing, optional
- icing sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Mix the warm soy milk, yeast, and one tablespoon of sugar in a bowl (note 1). Set aside for a few minutes until the mixture starts to become frothy.
- Add the remaining sugar, melted margarine, orange zest, lemon zest, port wine, and mix.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, potato starch, fine salt, cinnamon, and turmeric.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, mixing with a spoon, until it’s possible to knead with your hands.
- Knead until you get a soft and elastic dough, about 10 minutes (note 2).
- Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a cloth, and let it rise until it triples in size (note 3).
- Add the nuts and raisins to the dough, kneading until well incorporated (note 4). Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ring, making a hole in the center with your hands, and place it on a baking tray. Put a glass in the center to help the dough maintain its shape, cover with a cloth, and let it rise until it doubles in size.
- Remove the glass, decorate the top of the cake with some nuts, and brush with a little margarine.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C/356ºF for about 30 minutes or until golden.
- After cooling, brush with agave syrup and dust with icing sugar.
Video
Notes
- I heated the soy milk for a few seconds in the microwave until it was warm. The warm liquid helps activate the yeast, but if it’s too hot, it can damage it.
- Depending on the type of ingredients used (such as the type of flour and even the brand), you may need to add more or less flour. Here, I used a finer flour and started with 530 grams, but ended up adding an extra 35 grams while kneading. However, I’ve made this cake before, and 530 grams was enough.
- In winter, letting the dough rise can be a challenge, so I placed the bowl with the covered dough in the oven (turned off) and placed a container of boiled water underneath. I let it rise for an hour and a half to triple in size during the first fermentation, and one hour to double in size during the second fermentation.
- I prepared my own mix of nuts and raisins, using 70 grams of walnuts, 50 grams of cashews, 50 grams of sliced almonds, 50 grams of hazelnuts, and 50 grams of raisins, but you can adjust the quantities to your liking. Before adding them to the dough, I roughly chopped the walnuts, cashews, and hazelnuts, but that’s optional.
- This is a large-sized cake. To make a smaller version, simply cut the ingredients in half.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!