What’s even Christmas without cakes? From moist plum cakes to pastries, there are plenty of options to sweeten your Christmas. Even if you can get it ready made from any bakery, does it give the same joy as baking your own for your loved ones?
Christmas is around the corner and its almost time you begin preparation, especially with choosing the right cake. You can bake them and even store it in an airtight jar. So, here are three Christmas cake recipes to make your feast tastier if you’re looking for one.
1. Eggless Christmas Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 1/5 cup lukewarm water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup yoghurt (curd)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
Method:
Add dates into 1 cup warm milk and let it soak for 15 minutes. Blend them together to form a thick paste. Add oil and curd into the paste and mix the ingredients together using an electric whisker. Keep whisking until you get a smooth mixture.
Now keep a sieve in the in the bowl and add wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda. Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl. Now mix them well with the rest of the ingredients using cut and fold method. Add 1/2 cup warm milk and mix well again to get a smooth batter.
Add 6-8 chopped dates and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the batter and give it a final mix.
Pour the batter into a rectangular tin greased properly with oil or lined with butter paper. Bake the cake for 45 minutes at 180 degree Celsius.
Take it out from the over once baked and let it cool down properly. You can add some candied fruits and more nuts for added flavour. The cake is ready!
2. Christmas Champagne Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Champagne
- 2 Egg Yolk
- 1 Gelatin Leaves
- 1/2 Cup Caster Sugar
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Drops Edible Food Color
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven at 170 degree Celsius. Beat the egg yolks with castor sugar in a large bowl until you obtain a fluffy mixture. In the mean time, put the gelatin leaves in a bowl full of water and allow them to dissolve.
After a few minutes, add champagne, heavy cream, sugar and melted gelatin into the mixture. Whisk it properly until you it gets thick and folds into whipped cream. Now, grease butter on a round baking tray and pour the batter in it.
Slide the baking tray in the preheated oven and bake it for 30-35 minutes. Take it out from the oven after baking and allow it to cool in a refrigerator. Now serve your Champagne Christmas Cake with a glass of Champagne and enjoy!
3. Christmas Fruit Cake
Ingredients:
- Soaked fruits – 1/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup dried currants, 1/8 cup chopped dried cherries, 1/8 cup chopped dried mango, 1/8 cup chopped candied citron, 1/4 cup dark rum.
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda,
- 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 6 tablespoons dark rum, or more as needed
Method:
Soak all the fruits in a medium bowl and add rum into it. Cover it tightly after mixing and store at room temperature for at least 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 165 degree Celsius. Cut a 6 inch circle of parchment paper. Spray a round pan with cooking spray. Now place the parchment circle in the bottom of the pan, and spray it with cooking spray.
Beat the butter and brown sugar for about 3 minutes until it turns light and creamy. Beat the egg until incorporated.
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with molasses, beating batter briefly after each addition.
Stir in soaked fruit and pecans. Now, scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
Bake in the preheated oven till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cut one piece parchment paper and one piece cheesecloth, large enough to wrap around the cake.
Now remove the fruitcake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Drizzle two tablespoon rum over top.
Moisten the cheesecloth with 1 tablespoon rum. Place it on top of the parchment paper and unmold fruit cake onto it. Brush the top of the fruit cake with 3 tablespoon rum. Wrap the cheesecloth closely to the surface of the cake and wrap it with a parchment paper.
Transfer the wrapped fruitcake to a tin or airtight container. Seal the container and let it age at room temperature for at least 10 weeks before Christmas.