Mini eggless Christmas fruit cakes

No need to skip the festive fruit cake if you've got an egg allergy, just try this simple recipe. The cakes can be made well in advance and stored in the freezer

Makes: 12 muffins or 1 large cake

Difficulty: A little effort

Time: 90 minutes for mini cakes / 3 hours for 1 large cake

Ingredients:

500g mixed dried cake fruit

250ml dried figs or dates, chopped

100g glacé cherries

125ml (½ cup) brandy (or use apple juice or rooibos tea) plus extra

200g (1 cup) soft brown sugar

250ml (1 cup) oil

750ml (2 x 400g jars) apple sauce

480g (4 cups) cake flour

15ml (1 tbsp) bicarbonate of soda

5ml (1 tsp) salt

15ml (1 tbsp) ground cinnamon

5ml (1 tsp) ground ginger

5ml (1 tsp) mixed spice

200g almond, pecan or macadamia nuts, roughly chopped, lightly toasted

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Method:

1) Soak the dried cake fruit, figs and cherries in brandy overnight.

2) The next day combine the sugar and oil in a bowl and mix with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add the apple sauce.

3) Sift together flour, bicarb, salt and spices. Add to apple sauce mixture and stir with a wooden spoon till combined.

4) Add soaked cake fruit, figs, cherries and toasted nuts.

5) Grease or spray a 12-hole muffin pan or spray and base-line a 23cm springform cake pan. Fold three sheets of newspaper in half horizontally, and then in half again, twice and tie with string around the outside of the pan. (This stops the cake drying out during baking.)

6) Divide the batter between the muffin pans or pour into the cake pan. Bake the muffins at 150°C for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Bake the large cake at 160°C for 2 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before turning out. Drizzle over extra brandy.

7) These cakes are best stored, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, in the freezer.