24 December, 2015

CHRISTMAS CRANBERRY AND DRY NUTS CAKE egg free and alcohol free

Posted in : BAKING RECIPES/BAKED GODDIES on December 24, 2015 by : Divya Suresh

This year… for Christmas I definitely wanted to try any egg less, Alcohol free cake. So started looking for the recipes on the net, baking books, my old recipes book etc and found one recipe, which I liked @mymagicpan and decided to try out the same.

The recipe turned out really well and its too …. yummy. Here I have replaced Apf with whole wheat flour (emmer/Khapli wheat flour). Emmer Wheat is known to be low gluten grain. This nutritious flour is loaded with dietary fibers and is diabetic friendly and is completely organic.

Emmer Wheat is one of the ancient varieties of Wheat which is popularly known as Khapli and is extremely good for Health and very much suitable for baking as well – as they say.

In this recipe I have put only one dry fruit , that is cranberries, and I have put dry nuts like cashews, almonds, Pistachios and walnuts. I have also put Pumpkin seeds. Hence the name Cranberry & dry nuts cake.

I have spiced the cake with a home made spice powder made using cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms, star anise, nutmeg and mace and also added chopped candied ginger.

The entire house is filled with that special aroma and felt like already Christmas celebrations has begun !

Instructions :

Tin size – 7 by 7 inches
MW temperature – 170 degree C
Baking time – 35 to 40 minutes
Demould instructions – after 5 minutes
Cooling time – minimum 15 to 20 minutes (more it is cooled the better will be the taste)

Ingredients : measuring cup used – 250 ml & in grams as well

Khapli/Emmer wheat flour -1&1/2 cups / 175 gm
Spice Powder – 1 tsp (consists of cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, mace & nutmeg)
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
Water – 1 cup / 250 ml
Cranberries – 1 cup / 140 gm
Brown Sugar (dark) – 1 cup / 150 gm (I felt 140 gm would be enough)
Melted salted butter – 1/4 cup / 56 gm
Curd – 1/2 cup / 145 gm
Dried candied ginger, chopped – 2 tbsp
Dry nuts (chopped) & seed – each 22 gm (almond, Pistachios, cashews, Walnuts & Pumpkin seed )

PROCEDURE :

Combine Water, cranberries, butter, brown sugar and start heating
Reduce the heat to low – medium and let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes
Remove from the heat and let it cool down (since it is too cold here, I kept it warm

Simultaneously Pre-heat the oven at 170 degree C & Grease and dust the cake tin and set aside
Now add curd, chopped ginger and 3/4 portion of the mixed nuts (reserve the remaining 1/4 portion to sprinkle on the cake at the end) into the cooled/warm mixture and stir well

Gather together the flour, spice powder, baking soda and salt in a sieve and sift it directly into liquid ingredients bowl and combine well slowly and lightly

Pour the mixture into the cake tin, sprinkle the reserved 1/4 portion of the nuts mixture and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes or till tester comes out clean