The Best Ever Vegan Fruit Cake
Portuguese tradition is a big inspiration for my recipes, especially during festive seasons like Christmas. I love taking traditional sweets and figuring out how I can replicate them without using eggs and milk.
I confess I was never a big fan of Bolo Rei (the other more popular version of this cake) – as candied fruits aren’t my favorite sweet.
But Bolo Rainha, I love! Especially on Christmas morning: slightly toasted, paired with a nice hot coffee, in that quiet moment when everyone is still recovering from the hustle and bustle of the previous night.
The biggest compliment this cake has ever received? People preferring it to the traditional Bolo Rainha, even though it’s made without eggs! It’s true that it takes some time to prepare because it needs to rise well, and the cold at this time of year doesn’t help – but nothing a little trick can’t fix.
In the end, it turned out so delicious that it was totally worth the effort. Shall we get started? 👩🍳
📝 Ingredients You’ll Need
To prepare this cake, you’ll need simple ingredients that are quite easy to find in any supermarket. Here are the ingredients:
- Soy milk: the plant-based drink that most closely resembles milk. I usually opt for a sugar-free version with the least amount of ingredients possible.
- Yeast: for this cake, I use 30 gr of fresh yeast. If you can’t find it, you can substitute it with 11 gr of dry baker’s yeast.
- Sugar: 100 grams of white sugar.
- Flour: 530 grams of wheat flour.
- Potato starch: 30 grams of potato starch to make the cake a bit lighter and softer.
- Fine salt: a pinch of salt to balance out the flavors.
- Cinnamon: adds a special, cozy touch, perfect for Christmas.
- Turmeric: a pinch of turmeric to give the cake a hint of color, which is optional.
- Margarine: 100 grams of vegan margarine (I used one with 59% fat).
- Port wine: I love the flavor that Port wine adds to the cake, but you can also opt for Brandy. Not all Port wines are vegan (due to the clarification method), but there are more and more options available on the market, such as some from the Poças brand.
- Orange and lemon zest: citrus zest is one of my favorite ingredients in sweet recipes. It adds flavor and aroma, and in cakes like this one, it’s indispensable.
- Nuts (walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and almonds): I made a mix with 70 grams of walnuts, 50 grams of cashews, 50 grams of hazelnuts, and 50 grams of sliced almonds.
- Raisins: and of course, raisins! I used 50 grams of dark raisins.
- Agave: optional, for brushing the cake after baking.
- Powdered sugar: optional, for decorating the cake.
Shopping done? Then, let’s go ahead and make this cake! 🙂
🥮 How to Make This Delicious Fruit Cake
To make this Bolo Rainha, I started by mixing the warm soy milk, fresh yeast, and a bit of sugar in a bowl. Then, I waited a few minutes for the yeast to activate. I knew it was ready when it started to form foam, a sign that the yeast was working.
Next, I added the rest of the sugar, melted margarine, orange zest, lemon zest, port wine, and mixed everything together.
In another bowl, I mixed the flour, potato starch, fine salt, cinnamon, and turmeric. Then, I gradually incorporated the dry ingredients into the wet ones with a spoon, until it was possible to start kneading with my hands.
I kneaded until the dough became soft and elastic – 10 to 15 minutes should be enough. Depending on the type of ingredients used (such as the type of flour or even the brand), you may need to add more or less flour. Here, I used slightly finer flour and started with 530 grams, but ended up adding another 35 grams while kneading.
However, I’ve made this cake before, and 530 grams were enough.
After kneading, I placed the dough in a large bowl and covered it with a cloth, so it could rise and ideally triple in size.
In winter, letting the dough rise can be a challenge, so I used a little trick. I placed the bowl with the dough covered in the oven (turned off) and put a container of freshly boiled water underneath. In an hour and a half, the dough tripled in volume.
After the first rise, I added the nuts (walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and almonds) and the raisins to the dough, kneading it for a few minutes. Once everything was well incorporated, I let the dough rest for another 15 minutes before shaping it into what a Bolo Rainha typically looks like.
I shaped the dough into a ring, making a hole in the center with my hands, and placed it on a baking tray. Then, I put a glass in the center to help the dough maintain its shape and let it rise for the second time.
For the second rise, I once again placed the dough covered in the oven, with a container of freshly boiled water underneath. I let the dough double in size, which took about an hour.
Before placing it in the oven, I removed the glass, decorated it with more nuts, and brushed it with a little melted margarine.
I placed the cake in the preheated oven at 180°C and let it bake for about 30 minutes.
The goal was to achieve a golden crust, but I was careful not to overbake it and risk the cake becoming dry inside. Although 30 to 35 minutes are usually enough, it’s worth keeping an eye on it, as baking times can vary from oven to oven.
After it cooled, I brushed the cake with agave syrup to give it a slight shine and decorated it with a little powdered sugar. It turned out very similar to the traditional one— it’s so GOOD!
And voilà, a delicious Bolo Rainha! I hope you like this cake as much as I do, as I can’t resist making it every Christmas. 🎄
The Best Ever Vegan Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 230 grams unsweetened soy milk
- 30 grams fresh yeast or 11 gr of dry yeast
- 100 grams sugar the white variety, 1 tablespoon for the yeast mixture and the rest for the dough
- 100 grams vegan margarine and extra for brushing (I used one with 59% fat)
- 30 grams vegan Port wine or brandy
- zest of one lemon
- zest of one orange
- 530 +35 grams flour
- 30 grams potato starch
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp turmeric optional
- 270 grams dried fruits (70 g walnuts, 50 g cashews, 50 g hazelnuts, 50 g sliced almonds), plus extra for decoration
- 50 grams dried grapes the darker variety
- agave syrup for brushing, optional
- powdered 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.
- Place in the preheated oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes or until golden.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF or 180ºC for about 35 minutes or until golden-brown.
- After cooling, brush with agave syrup and dust with powdered sugar.
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 55 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 freshly 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.
🙏🏻 Before you go, I’ve got a favor to ask!
I’d love to get your feedback on this recipe! Feel free to leave a comment below detailing your experience— and let others know how you feel about it!
Of course, you can also ask any questions you may have about the recipe— and we’ll try to respond ASAP.
