Ineke's Magical Christmas Cake

Ineke's Magical Christmas Cake


 

Ineke's Magical Christmas Cake

Packed full of nuts and dried fruit, this is a Christmas Cake that you will want an excuse to make all year round. Why is it magical? Because it can be made now and will taste like it was left to mature like a traditional one!

This is a wonderful festive time of year, but it’s time of year too where food abounds and making healthy choices can be difficult, I have created a Christmas Cake that avoids the things that I exclude from my own diet, and it’s not only scrumptious but also a healthy treat.

I love to make these in miniature versions to gift to friends and family. The idea of people sitting down to have a cuppa with something I’ve made with love and care never ceases to give me joy!

 

Ingredients 

 

400g brazil nuts (roughly chopped in halves/thirds) 

200g almonds 

175g cashew nuts

150g pitted dates 

200g dried figs cut roughly into 1/2 or 1/3rds 

150g sticky raisins (see NOTE below) 

200g dried apricots (or more figs/dates)

60g goji berries 

150g currants 

80g dried mulberries (or more currants/raisins)

200g ground almonds 

50g tapioca flour

80g raw honey 

1 tsp baking powder 

20g ground chia seeds 

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon 

2 large or 3 small eggs 

Filtered water

Method 

 

In a large bowl place the brazil, almonds and cashew nuts. To this add the dried fruit (cut the figs, dates and apricots in half or thirds), baking powder, ground almonds, tapioca flour and cinnamon.

 

In another small bowl, place ground chia seeds with ½ cup of water and mix together, this will become a gel-like paste and replaces the need for more eggs. It works as a binding agent. Add in the honey and mix well. Then add along with the eggs to your dry fruit and nut mix.

 Mix well to combine. Use your fingertips to ensure the mixture is really well mixed and all the fruit and nuts are moist with the mixture, this is really important to ensure it sticks well together when baking. Place mixture into a large baking dish that has been lined and greased (using coconut oil). Press down firmly. Use a glass jar and wet hands to press it down, if this is not pressed together tightly, it will fall apart when you cut it later. OR press well into individual moulds (I use silicone moulds, which make lovely little Christmas cakes)

 

Place in an oven at 130C. Bake for 50 minutes initially, then cover with foil and bake for a further 50 minutes. The top will be brown and it should spring back when touched. For minis bake for 1hr-1hr 10 mins only (covering half way through). Allow to cool fully before cutting. 

 

This cake will last in the cupboard for at last a month, and longer if kept in the fridge… although I have to say, it never makes longer than that around here! 

 

Serves 35 servings

Enjoy… 

 

NOTE 

1.Sticky raisins – I use the Sunmaid variety, they have had no sunflower or other oil added to them and are naturally sweet and sticky. 

2. With the proportions of dried fruit these can be altered slightly, I will often use less dates and more figs as I love sticky soft figs, and they create a wonderful flavour in the cake

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