2016-02-19
Joybynature.com Team
Feb
19

Image Source: Lucky Bakes

It’s my favorite time of the year. With cold winters we get all wrapped up in sweaters, jackets, mufflers, shawls, and what not but with Christmas, the enjoyment doubles. The first thing that crosses my mind when someone says Christmas, (after gifts) is fruit cakes. Christmas is the best time of the year to enjoy some warm and fresh home baked fruit cakes with the family. With frosting or without, it does not make much of a difference to me. While I do not complain if somebody puts a frosting on it (and a cherry on the top) but nor do I complain when I have to eat it without frosting, after all it’s the cake that matters the most. So without taking much of your time, I will start with the recipes. So take out your cake tins and baking gloves and start preheating your oven before we get started.

 

  1. Date Cake

 

This is an easy to bake, healthy to eat and great to taste cake loaded with dates and walnuts.

 

Ingredients

 

1 cup pitted and chopped dates

1 1/2 cups whole grain flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup boiling water

mixture of powdered sugar and cinnamon for garnish

 

Recipe

 

Place the dates in a bowl. Pour over the boiling water. Soak the dates for 4-5 hours or until they are tender. You can also add them in orange juice or rum to get the seasonal flavor.

 

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set the flour mixture aside.

 

Beat the butter and sugar for a minute. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth, for about 1 minute.

 

In a separate bowl mix 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder and keep it aside.

 

Preheat oven to 170 degree Centigrade. Add the flour mixture and milk; combine until smooth.

 

Fold in dates and walnuts.

 

Grease a cake pan. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

 

Bake in the oven until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about an hour.

 

Un-mould it, let it cool and then dust with powdered sugar.

 

  1. Apple Cranberry Coffee Cake

 

Apple, cranberry and coffee, what can be a better way to celebrate the festival?

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whole grain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup finely diced apples

1 cup dried cranberries, quartered

 

For the Topping

 

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup whole grain flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Recipe

 

Beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla to this mixture and beat again.

 

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

 

Slowly beat into the butter mixture.

 

Add the diced apples and cranberries and stir gently. Spoon the batter into a cake tin after greasing it.

 

Combine the topping ingredients and use a fork to mix the butter into everything until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake batter.

 

Bake at 170 degrees Centigrade for about 50 minutes.

 

  1. Cranberry Cake

 

Sheer cranberry indulgence for the cranberry lovers.

 

Ingredients

 

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whole grain flour

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

 

Recipe

 

Preheat oven to 180 degree Centigrade.

 

Beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture becomes slightly thick, light in color and double in volume. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the spatula out of the bowl.

 

Add the butter and vanilla; mix for two more minutes.

 

Fold in the flour until just combined.

 

Add the cranberries and stir to mix throughout.

 

Spread in a buttered pan.

 

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.

 

Let it cool completely before cutting it.

 

 

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