The sun is out here in Kaikōura and it is finally feeling like Christmas is on its way!! So of course with Christmas comes the proverbial cake. Last year we just missed out on having a cake as I didn’t think I had a recipe, then low and behold as I was sifting through the recipe book I came across this beauty. I have actually had this recipe for a long time, since my sugar free time four years ago, without realising that it was actually vegan. At the time it lost out to another recipe, as I was still eating eggs, only to be found the other month when I was searching for birthday cake recipes.
Enjoying some pre Christmas sunshine …. homeschooling outside 🙂
Sadly, I can’t remember which book I got the recipe from all those years ago and I have altered it quite a bit over the couple of times I have baked it (both four years ago and now) so if you recognize it please let me know so I can credit the original correctly 🙂 I have halved the recipe so that it fitted into my bread loaf tin which also meant that it was consumed in a timely manner. As with many GF vegan recipes the sooner the munching is completed the better … we stretched it to three days to see what it was like with success though day three wasn’t as yum as day one and two’s munching 🙂
Decorated and ready to go in the oven
As you’ll know if you’ve been reading my blogs for a while I like simple and quick recipes. This one is a little out of the norm for me as it required cooking and mashing some kumara prior to mixing everything in one pot …. thankfully I survived the ordeal as it wasn’t quite as daunting as it seemed when I first read it 😉 I figure one extra dish for some yummy Christmas cake was worth the effort ….. at least once a year that is. The almond essence and decoration definitely gave it that Christmassy look and taste while using the vanilla essence instead, and flagging the decoration, produced a good fruit cake for any occasion.
…. now for the munching to begin
So here is it for you to play around with and enjoy over this festive season and beyond ….
A Merry Vegan Christmas Cake
1 Tb maple syrup
250 gm of raisins or sultanas
1 Cup of water
1 small apple (peeled and grated)
62 gms chopped almonds – or in my case bashed almonds 😉
1/2 cup of mashed kumara (doesn’t matter if it is cold or warm)
1.5 Tb olive oil
1 tsp almond essence (vanilla also works fine if you just want a fruit cake)
3/4 Cup rice flour
3/4 Cup buckwheat flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
extra almonds to decorate – optional
- Bring maple syrup, fruit and water to the boil in a large pot then remove from the heat.
- Add apple, bashed almonds, kumara, essence along with oil and mix well.
- Sift in the dry ingredients and mix well again.
- Pour into a baking paper lined tin and gently press in extra almonds to decorate.
- Bake at 160 C for 45 mins and then leave to cool in the oven for the next 15-20 mins before placing on a cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container and enjoy.
Even got a thumbs up from the non-vegan among us!
Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas/Holiday season enjoying the good things life has given you and remembering lots of special memories.
Arohanui
Y
Becoming Healthy 