Rooibos Tea Fruit Cake (Vegan)
This is one of the easiest cakes to bake, full of fruit, flavour and tastes better with age. I have made this cake many times and the first version of this recipe I ever produce was by far the best, which is the one I am sharing with you now. I created this cake for my mother, she loves a traditional fruit but she finds them too sweet and as a diabetic, she could no longer enjoy our afternoon treats so she decided to stop eating them completely. She wanted a sugar free and wheat free cake and here is the result.
Like many Southern Africans, we love a cup of rooibos so I thought why not combine the two. If you do not have any rooibos you can substitute it with black tea of your choice. This is now her favourite cake…the picture is from Christmas and since we are all at home due to Covid we bake a cake every week and indulge in even more family time. I am grateful for the time I am spending with my family, having worked tirelessly for almost 7 years in the hospitality industry, this is the silver lining for me. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do.
Why Buckwheat flour?
Buckwheat flour is made from buckwheat known as a pseudocereal, it is not a grass although it is treated like a cereal crop. It has a rich, nutty flavour and also naturally gluten-free making it a perfect choice for baking especially when baking for people with different dietary requirements. When purchasing buckwheat flour make sure it states that is gluten-free as some flours are blended with wheat. One thing I have noticed is buckwheat flour bakes quicker than wheat so I would advise you to keep an eye and adjust the baking time when substituting wheat flour in your favourite cakes.
Ingredients
Wet
3 teabags rooibos
250g hot water
1 cup-washed cashew.
Cake mix ingredients all in one bowl
500g mixed fruit (must include glace cherries)
150g prunes
300g buckwheat flour
40g linseed
1tsp cocoa powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
2tsp vanilla paste
50g marzipan (optional)
½ cup vegetable oil
½ maple syrup
1 orange zest and juice
Method
The night before- Cashew Tea
In a large enough bowl or jug. Make the tea by infusing the teabags in hot water and leave to cool.
Once cooled add the cashews to the tea and leaves overnight. Do not remove the tea bags.
Baking day
Remove the teabags from the jug and pour the tea and cashews in a blender. Blend until smooth resembling milky tea.
Cake mix
Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep loaf tin (size?)
Weigh out all the cake mix ingredient into one mixing bowl.
Pour the liquid (cashew tea) to the dry mix and combine. If a little dense add some milk.
Pour cake mix in the buttered tin and bake for 45 minutes.
Cover the cake with foil and bake for a further 45 (to stop the cake burning and tasting bitter)
Remove the cake from the oven, poke a hole with a skewer/ knife to check if it baked. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
