Tropical Christmas Fruit Cake

Somehow, fruit cake has become a dreaded Christmas dessert of sorts — but nobody will shy away from grabbing a slice of this fabulous tropical fruit cake. Packed with mangos, coconut, pineapple, and other dried fruit, this cake is made from almond meal, so it's flourless. The gorgeous cashew frosting on top makes it picture-perfect, but you might have trouble snapping photos before your guests try to grab a slice.

TROPICAL CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE FRUIT MINCE:

• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 1 cup de-stemmed figs, sliced finely
• 1 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1 cup pitted prunes, sliced
• 1 cup dried coconut
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder or paste
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh organic lemon zest
• 2 ripe mangoes
• 1/2 peeled pineapple
• 1/4-1/2 cup water (more if your mangoes and pineapple are small, less if they are large)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon mixed spices (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1 cup raw almonds, ground (this will make about 1 1/4 cups almond meal)
• 1 cup fruit mince (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup dried shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup walnuts, lightly crushed by hand
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 1/3 cup, plus 1 3/4 tablespoons raw cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours
• Scant 1/2 cup light agave nectar or coconut nectar
• 2 1/4 tablespoons shaved raw cacao butter

PREPARATION

TO MAKE THE MINCE:

1. Add all of the dried fruit, coconut, coconut sugar, spices, zest, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl that has a sealable lid.
2. Add the mango and pineapple to a blender and blend until smooth then add to the dried ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir to combine.
3. Place the lid onto the bowl and let sit for up to 4-5 days. Giving it a stir once a day. The longer it sits, the more the flavors develop.
4. Use in any desired desserts.

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 355°F.
2. Mix all ingredients thoroughly then press into a small greased ring tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out dry.
3. Let cool completely before trying to remove from tin. Place the cake into the refrigerator because you want it to be cool for when you frost it.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:

1. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until super smooth and creamy.
2. Blending will make the frosting a little bit warm so let it cool for a while then gently pour it over the top of the cold cake so that it just drizzles down the sides. Put it back into the refrigerator so that the frosting can semi-set then add some decorations to the top if you wish, like berries and nuts.

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