Dairy Free Fruitcake

This dairy-free fruitcake skips eggs, butter, and milk entirely. Stewed raisins and their concentrated cooking liquid provide the moisture and natural sweetness, while vegetable shortening, cinnamon, and nutmeg round out a simple batter that bakes into a dense, fragrant loaf.

Stewing the raisins first is the smartest move in this recipe. Simmering them in water until the liquid reduces to less than a cup concentrates the raisin sugars into a dark, syrupy juice. That liquid goes right into the batter and acts as the binding agent that eggs would normally provide.

Chill the stewed raisins and their juice before mixing. Cold liquid keeps the shortening from melting prematurely in the batter, which would make the cake greasy instead of tender.

Kitchen Tips

• Watch the raisins closely as they stew. You want less than one cup of liquid remaining. Too much and the batter will be too wet; too little and the cake will be dry.
• Cream the sugar, shortening, and salt thoroughly before adding the liquid. Proper creaming builds air into the batter, which is especially important without eggs for structure.
• Bake in a loaf or tube pan. The tube pan bakes more evenly since heat reaches the center from all sides.
• Test with a toothpick at 55 minutes. The dense batter can look done on top while the center is still raw.

Variations

• Add chopped walnuts, candied citrus peel, or dried cranberries for a more traditional fruitcake feel.
• Replace half the raisins with chopped dates for a darker, stickier cake.
• Brush the warm cake with warmed apricot jam for a glossy finish and extra moisture.