To get started put all the dried fruit, orange juice, zest and sherry into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the Bicarbonate of Soda. Leave to cool, this helps get all the fruit nice and juicy! 

Next up, mix together the almond milk and orange juice and leave to thicken. Now for the baking, pre-heat your oven to 150℃/130℃ fan oven/Gas Mark. Grease and line a 9” round cake tin with parchment paper.

Pop the vegan butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Add in the Vanilla Extract and pop in the treacle and give your mixture a big stir.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, Baking Powder, ground almonds and mixed spice together and then fold through the wet mixture. Finally stir through the thicken almond milk and next the cooled fruit mixture.

Pour your cake mixture into the cake tin and bake for 2hrs 45 minutes - 3hours or until a skewer popped into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool completely. If you are making in advance once your cake is cooled wrap tightly in foil and place in an airtight container. For a boozier bake, you can feed weekly with sherry.

Now it is time to decorate your Christmas cake, this can be done up to 2 weeks before Christmas! Pop your cake onto a cake board and secure in place with a blob of apricot jam – you can heat the jam in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen. Lightly dust your worktop with icing sugar, knead and roll out the fondant until it is large enough to cover your entire cake. Brush your cake with apricot jam and place the fondant over your cake smoothing it over the top and down the sides so it sticks in place and trim any excess around the base – leave these for later. Top tip; to help lift the fondant onto the cake, drape over your rolling pin and lift onto the cake. 

Time for the finishing touches, using your leftover fondant roll out and cut into star shapes and stick around your cake, brushing on a small amount of water to help them stick if needed. Decorate your stars using the Gold Decorating Icing, you can paint, blob or draw onto the fondant – it is easiest to decorate the stars when they are on the cake. 

Now your wonderful vegan Christmas cake is ready to enjoy, Merry Christmas!