Vegan Christmas Cake Recipe

Filled with dried fruits, nuts, and strong aromatic spices this spongy cake is a treat to the senses.

Spiced Fruit and Nut Christmas Cake, popularly known as 'Christmas Fruit Cake' or 'Christmas Plum Cake' is an all-time favourite come Christmas. Baking this delicious, antioxidant-rich cake is a tradition in most Christian homes. Filled with dried fruits, nuts, and strong aromatic spices this spongy cake is a treat to the senses. We have for you a recipe that combines the goodness of dried fruits, nuts and spices with whole grains, nut butters and date syrup! 'Tis the season to be jolly indeed!

Whole Food Plant Based Baked Christmas Cake Recipe

Course: Christmas Recipe, Snack, Dessert in Course 3 (Grain Dishes) at Lunch & Dinner Meals
Cuisine: British Recipe
Servings: 1 Cake

INGREDIENTS

Main Ingredients for Christmas Cake Batter

1 1/2 cups Red Rice Flour
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 cups Date Syrup
1/4 cup Almond Butter
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tbsp Vinegar
Orange Juice
Lemon Zest from 1 Lemon freshly grated
Orange Zest from 1 Orange freshly grated

Dry Fruits & Nuts for Christmas Cake

1 cup Raisins
2 Plums
1 cup Figs
2 tbsp Cashews
2 tbsp Unsalted Pistachios
2 tbsp Almonds
2 tbsp Walnuts

Christmas Cake Spice Mix

2 sticks Cinnamon
4 Cloves
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
2 Star Anise
3 Cardamom
Few strands Saffron

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop nuts. Soak dry fruits and nuts in orange juice overnight. While making orange juice, remove seeds before grinding, and do not filter after grinding. If you do, orange juice becomes a processed food.
2. Grind all ingredients into a fine powder.
3. Mix all ingredients together, along with enough orange juice to make a christmas cake batter of pourable consistency.
4. Line a baking tin with unbleached parchment paper or use a silicone cake baking tray.
5. Pour cake batter into the baking tin. Bake at 180 deg C for 55 minutes.
6. Once done, check to see if it is cooked by poking in a knife, then allow to cool completely on a cake cooling rack. Serve fresh!

Plant Based Chef Pro Tips for Best Christmas Cake Recipe

1. Christmas Cake batter should be diluted with orange juice just until it reaches a thick but pourable consistency.

Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Christmas Cake Recipe

1. Why whole grains? Whole grains are healthier than refined grains such as white rice, refined flours, maida, rava, etc., as the bran layer is intact, with all its vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Whole grains have been found to be protective against a whole range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and lifestyle-related cancers.
2. Why not oil? Oil is a processed food, even if it is cold pressed oil. In whole nuts, the calories from the oil are balanced out with the fiber and nutrients in the nut. For example, peanuts are healthier than peanut oil, sesame seeds are healthier than sesame oil. Hence, a healthy diet excludes oil and includes whole nuts. We can easily achieve a 'fried' effect of different recipes by baking the same dishes instead, like this one!
3. What's wrong with baking? The brown color we get on baking whole grains, tubers, legumes, or nuts is due to the formation of carcinogenic AGE compounds. We can eliminate the formation of these compounds by baking at or below 120 deg C. Up to 160 deg C, the formation of AGEs slower rises, and after that, rises exponentially. It can also be reduced by adding spices and herbs, and in case of breads and cakes, cutting off the crust before serving.
4. Why not honey, sugar or jaggery? Sugar and Jaggery are processed foods. Although jaggery is healthier than brown sugar, which, in turn, is healthier than white sugar, all forms of processed foods are unhealthy when compared to whole plant foods. Honey is healthwise as good as jaggery, which isn't saying much. In addition to not being very healthy, honey production kills millions of bees every year, affecting our environment adversely. The best sweetener alternative is a whole fruit or dry fruit. The easiest method of using these is date syrup, as it does not involve peeling or chopping.
5. Why not dairy? Dairy products have been found to be associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, asthma, PCOS, and heart disease. We can still enjoy our milk, cream, and butter though - as long as they are made from whole plant foods!