Bring on the Festivities With This Christmas Cake

‘Tis the season to be jolly! And the Christmas cake is the cherry on the icing. Enriched with raisins, almonds walnuts, cashews, lemon zest and orange rinds, the delicious Christmas cake is hard to pass by without grabbing a bite. Be it a traditional family recipe or a modern version, everyone loves to end the day with some cake. But if you’re counting calories, we have just the right recipe for you. This healthy Christmas cake recipe will keep your sweet tooth satiated and ensure that your calorie count doesn’t go through the roof.

INGREDIENTS

• Dates, 250 gm
• Jaggery, 3/4 cup
• Whole wheat flour, 1 cup
• Oats, 1/2 cup, ground
• Almonds, 1/2 cup, ground
• Baking powder, 1 tsp
• Baking soda, 1 tsp
• Salt, 1/4 tsp
• Nutmeg powder, 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon powder, 1 tsp
• Clove powder, 1/4 tsp
• Dry ginger powder, 1 tsp
• Olive oil, 1 cup
• Chopped mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews), 1/2 cup
• Raisins/chopped figs or dried fruit, 1/2 cup
• Flour to dust nuts and dry fruits, 3 tbsp
• Orange rind, 1 tsp
• Lemon rind, 1 tsp
• Orange juice, of 2 oranges
• Low-fat milk, 1 cup

METHOD

1. Soak the nuts and dry fruits in some orange juice, freshly squeezed into a glass bowl. Add the grated rind and cover with a cling film and leave it overnight or for 4-5 hours.
2. Microwave the dates for a minute and add warm milk to it. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Grind the soaked dates along with jaggery and the remaining spices, in a mixer.
3. Sieve wheat flour and oats along with salt, soda and baking powder. Set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease a round baking tin with butter and dust it with flour or line the tin with parchment paper.
5. Pour the dates mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add oil and whisk until smooth.
6. Add the flour mixture and stir till well incorporated. Add milk to adjust the consistency in case the batter is too thick.
7. Mix the assorted nuts with 3 tablespoons of flour and add to the prepared batter. Fold gently.
8. Pour this mix into the greased pan, tap lightly and place it in the oven.
9. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 200 °C for the first 30 minutes. Then lower temperature to 150 °C and cover with foil to prevent burning.
10. Insert a toothpick to check if the cake is done. If the toothpick comes out clean remove the cake from the oven. Allow it to cool completely before cutting it into pieces.
11. Store it in an airtight box and enjoy this sweet treat all through Christmas.

Nutritional value per slice (70 gm)

A Merry Christmas Everyone!