A dairy free alternative to a traditional Christmas Cake which can be made last minute, just make the mincemeat the day before as it needs to marinate and ruminate for 24 hours before you use it. You can use a jar of shop bought mincemeat if you want to save time, the cake is full of spices a bit of brandy and all the Christmassy flavours and is perfect if you are a mince pie fan, but fancy a lighter cake version and it’s perfect with dairy free vanilla ice cream.
I have taken the flavours of a classic Spanish clam stew and rejigged it so it tastes great even though there is no meat in it. Normally it would have Chorizo in it, so I used smoked paprika which is the flavor of Chorizo instead and it tastes just as good. It’s a really easy recipe and great for a date night. Also, the frozen Clams were a bargain £3.59 for 500g in the freezer section of Waitrose. I always buy a few boxes and keep them in the freezer just in case. They are delicious with roasted sourdough or my homemade fries or roast potatoes.
I invented this cake years ago when I was living in a flat with a kitchen the size of a broom cupboard. I just didn’t have the space to bake and have food in the oven at the same time. I was cooking a birthday dinner party and this cake hit the spot. You can decorate as magnificently as you want.It is better eaten on the day, or kept in the fridge.
Serves 8-10.
Ingredients:
3 shop bought sponge flans
A large tub of whipping cream (1000 ml)
A tub of ready made custard (very thick)
3 tablespoons of raspberry jam
A punnet (or tray) of raspberries
Berries to decorate
Sherry (optional)
