Over the years I have learnt that in the traditional Christmas cake, the ingredients are precise and include dried raisins, currants, plums, dried orange, lemon peel, and more such. It actually originated from the plum pudding.
Every family usually has its own Christmas cake recipe passed on over generations. But for people like us (yes, me included) there are some good books (and websites) too, which have the recipe listed step by step with choices ranging from quick fix to complex. Take your pick.
I have realised that with these instructions if you do not make any substitutions, and follow directions exactly, the results are usually very satisfactory.
Or you could simply badger a friend who has a great recipe to share, and then have a go at it.
While you must try your hand at a Christmas cake, you could try making these five interesting and healthy cakes too. These are super healthy, no-guilt cakes, where one gets to eat a lot of nutrients too, along with taste, and are far easier to make too, I promise you!
Warm Lentil Cake With Honey
Take 100 gm of any lentil flour, add a pinch of salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and strain it. Add 3 eggs and 10 tsp sugar. Pour it into a lined cake tin.
Bake it at 180°C for 35 minutes. Meanwhile reduce 30 ml honey on slow flame, add a cinnamon stick, and enjoy the warm cake with honey.
Super Bran Cake
Combine 100 gm bran flakes, 250 ml milk, 75 gm chopped apricots, and 50 gm sultanas. Leave to soak for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Add 40 gm brown sugar, 150 gm maida flour, 2 beaten eggs, and1 mashed banana to the mixture and stir.
Spoon into the tin and bake for 50-55 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven.
Yogurt Brownie Egg-Less Cake
Pre heat the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. Grease a round eight inch baking pan with some oil. In a round bottom bowl beat 225 gm curd and 140 gm sugar together.
Once beaten well, add 1/4th cup olive oil gradually. Then add 75 gm flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tbsp vanilla essence, and 30 gm dark chocolate. Mix well.
Pour the mixture in the baking pan, sprinkle some walnuts over it, and put the baking dish in the oven to cook. Bake at 175 degrees for about 35 minutes or till done.
Mixed Nut Cake
Grease and dust a baking tin. Preheat oven to 190°C. Grind all the nuts (1/2 cup blanched almonds, 1/2 cup cashew nuts, roasted, and 1/2 cup shelled walnuts) together into fine powder.
Beat 5 egg yolks and 3/4th cup sugar till thick and creamy. Add 1 tsp flour, powdered nuts, and 1tsp rum (optional) and mix well. Beat 5 egg whites until stiff, and fold carefully into nut mixture.
Pour into prepared tin and bake 30 minutes or till done (when skewer inserted in the center comes out clean). Let it cool before turning out onto serving dish. Scatter some toasted nuts over the top.
No-Bake Cake
Combine 200gm cream cheese, 100 gm plain yoghurt, 100 gm ricotta cheese (or lightly salted hung curd), 1/2 cup sugar, 1tsp vanilla essence, and zest of 1 lemon in a food processor.
Spread evenly in 12-inch springform cake tin (with a detachable bottom). Decorate with fruit slices (any like kiwi, apricots, pineapple, apple, grapes, etc).
Add a drizzle of honey or rum on top (optional) and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Remove side of tin just before serving and glaze fruit if liked.
(Kavita Devgan is a nutritionist, weight management consultant, and health writer based in Delhi. She is the author of The Don't Diet Plan: A no-nonsense guide to weight loss, Fix it with Food, Ultimate Grandmother Hacks, and The Immunity Diet and 500 Recipes: Simple Tricks for Stress Free Cooking.)
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