Vegan Fruitcake

There was a time when I didn't understand why fruitcakes deserved popular derision. My earliest memories of fruitcake were nothing but pleasant. The fruitcake I was familiar with bore no resemblance to the re-gifted bricks that starred in many a holiday joke. The fruitcake that I loved was from The Collin Street Bakery in Texas. My parents discovered this delicious fruitcake while my dad was in The U.S. Air Force, stationed in Texas. They maintained the tradition of ordering these Texas fruitcakes every Christmas, thus my love of fruitcake was born.
Only many years later did I venture to sample any other fruitcake. After trying one of the bricks that they tried to pass off as fruitcake in the grocery store, I learned why people have a negative impression of them. Most folks have never had a good one.
Needless to say, when I decided to make a vegan fruitcake, I was attempting to mimic the masterpiece of The Collin Street Bakery, not the quasi-edible building material that most folks associate with the term.
While The Collin Street Bakery's fruitcake includes nuts, I've left them out of mine. I prefer a more pure fruit and sugar experience.
And, while I can't exactly argue that this is health food, it is unquestionably better for you than the counterparts which include dairy and eggs.

Ingredients

4 tsp egg replacer

8 Tbsp water

½ cup vegan margarine

16 ounces candied cherries

16 ounces candied pineapple

2 - 3 ounces candied fruit and peel mix

1 cup brown sugar

2 ½ cups orange juice with pulp

3 ⅕ cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp allspice

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

Ingredient notes:

Egg replacer: Use Ener-G Egg Replacer or ground flax seeds. I use a half and half mixture of both.

For vegan margarine, I recommend Earth Balance. I’ve never tasted a better margarine and even if I had no ethical qualms with butter, I would still prefer Earth Balance.

Candied fruit: There is certainly some latitude on amounts and types of fruit here. The ingredients here are just my personal preference.

Flour: I use a mixture of unbleached all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour (about ¾ to ¼)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Briefly whip the egg replacer and water until fluffy.

Mix margarine, sugar, whipped egg replacer, candied fruit, and orange juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cool for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices, then mix in the boiled mixture from the previous steps.

Transfer completely mixed ingredients to loaf tins and bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

(spray loaf tins with cooking oil spray first - I use canola)

Preparation notes:

I’ve found that once the cakes begin to brown on top that flipping each of them over into other loaf tins will make them cook more evenly. (Of course - spray the tins with cooking oil first.)