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Healthy Christmas Cake
What's great about it
What I love about this cake is that it's not like traditional Christmas Cakes that take weeks to make in advance - my version can be made and enjoyed in just a few hours. This wonderful cake is perfect for those last minute impromptu visits from friends and relatives or even as a delicious gift - wrapped in the tin it was baked in with rustic brown paper and ribbon.
Ingredients
650 g (23 oz) organic dried fruits - chopped. My favourites are fresh pitted dates, raisins, apricots, figs, dried cherries
1 whole orange, peeled
3 organic eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoons, ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon bicarb soda
120 g (4 ¼ oz) good quality melted butter or your choice of cold pressed coconut oil or macadamia nut oil
100 g (3 ½ oz) wholemeal organic spelt flour
80 g (2 ½ oz) walnuts or whole almonds (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F.
- Combine dried fruits into a large mixing bowl.
- Crack eggs into a blender.
- Add the peeled orange, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
- Blend until smooth and combined.
- Pour the orange / egg mix over the top of the dried fruits.
- Add melted butter then mix in well.
- Add spelt flour and baking soda and mix through.
- Line a 18 cm (7 1/2 inch) baking tin with baking paper.
- Spoon in the cake mix and flatten over the top.
- Decorate if you like with the almonds or walnuts. You can also add a handful if you wish into the cake mix which enhances the flavour profile.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until cake is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and cool.
Notes and Inspiration
There is no need to soak the cake with brandy... it's so moist and delicious you don't need it.
Store at room temperature or in the fridge until needed. Refrigeration will enable you to slice thin delicate slices of the cake to enjoy wit a cup of tea.
The sweetness of the cake comes from the natural dried and fresh fruit used. I find this is enough and it's not necessary to add extra sugar.
To see a gluten-free version of this cake go to my Gluten free/grain free Christmas cake.
Also check out my Christmas style Carrot Cake - top with lush coconut cream frosting or organic natural yoghurt.
Perfect on it's own or topped with a little organic yoghurt or vanilla bean custard.