Low Carb Christmas Cake
Low Carb Christmas Cake
If you had challenged me to create a recipe for a low carb Christmas cake 6 years ago, I would have said it isn’t possible. Having followed a keto way of eating for over 5 years, now I say anything is possible. This low carb Christmas cake tastes of Christmas. It’s fruity with a little spice and you have the option of adding brandy or whisky to it, which in my opinion really tops this cake off. If you want to make this recipe for an everyday cake you can just switch out the rum or brandy. If you’re wanting a celebration cake though I would definitely include it in the recipe.
Low Carb Dried Fruit
Christmas cake has to have fruit in it or it just isn’t a Christmas cake. You may have noticed that it’s difficult to source sugar free dried low carb fruits, such as cranberries and blueberries. To make your own Sugar Free Dried Cranberries, follow this easy to make recipe that can be made from fresh or frozen cranberries. Also feel free to use any of the products that you can find in stores or online to make this recipe easier. Just make sure you read the labels so you know what has been added to store bought dried fruits
Blueberries that have been dried generally have added sugars or apple juice to them as well. I have found some dried blueberries from iherb, Karen’s Dried Blueberries, which are sugar free. They’re freeze dried and so aren’t moist like other dried fruits. Because they are soaked in this recipe, it isn’t a problem. Alternatively, dry your own Sugar Free Dried Blueberries by following this recipe.
It may seem like a big effort to make your own blueberries and cranberries, however they are easy to make as you just let them dry out in the oven. Should you have any excess, they go brilliantly in home made Low Carb Muesli or Sugar Free Granola. They’d be great in a trail mix and would also be perfect added to this Low Carb No Oat Meal recipe.
The Color Purple
When you make this delicious recipe for a Low Carb Fruit Cake, your batter can end up being quite purple. Once baked it turns a dark golden color a little like a golden fruit cake. It can still be a little purple on the inside once you cut it.
When a cake uses whole foods and natural products, I never despair over what the colors look like. Blueberries tend to impart a lot of color into batters so it’s unavoidable. Try to gently stir your fruit through the batter at the end to try to avoid over mixing. This might help prevent the colors being overly mixed in.
Storing Your Low Carb Christmas Cake
While a traditional fruit cake can have a really long life, this low carb version has a shelf life of about 5 days. The recipe freezes really well and defrosts beautifully. One of my favorite ways to eat this cake once it’s been frozen, is to zap in the microwave to warm it slightly. Top it with home made Low Carb Custard From Scratch for a delicious pudding like dessert.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Sugar Free Dried Cranberries
- ½ cup Sugar Free Dried Blueberries
- ¼ cup brandy - can also be switched for ¼ cup whisky or scented tea such as earl grey
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 100 gms melted butter or mild flavored extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup nut milk of choice
- 2 tablespoons of orange zest/and or lemon zest
- 220 gms blanched almond meal/almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup stevia blend /monkfruit blend or ½ cup erythritol or xylitol
- 1 cup almond slivers or blanched almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons mixed spice or pumpkin spice mix
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- A pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of cardamom
Instructions
- Soak the dried fruit in the brandy/whiskey/tea for as long as possible. Overnight is ideal.
- Preheat your oven to 165 C/330 F fan forced
- Prepare an 8“round baking pan with oil/butter all over and line the base with baking paper.
- Beat the eggs in medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and frothy.
- Add vanilla extract, oil or butter, nut milk and orange zest and mix until well blended.
- Mix the dry ingredients together until combined and ensure the baking soda is well dispersed. Using a spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and mix until ingredients are well combined. Finally gently fold the dried fruit mixture through the batter with a spatula until well dispersed but without over mixing.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth off the top. Decorate with additional nuts if desired.
- Bake on the middle rack for 35-40 minutes or until cake is cooked on the inside. Check with a skewer to see if it pulls out dry. Take care not to overcook. If cake is browning too quickly, drop the temperature back a little.
- Allow cake to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. Tip the cake out onto a cooling rack and wrap in cling wrap if you want a lovely moist centre.
Recipe Notes
Switch the blueberries and cranberries for 1 cup of mixed fruit of choice, such as 1 cup of cranberries, mixed fruit, peel etc. Low Carb Glaze - For a special occasion, you may want to glaze the cake with low carb glaze. To make glaze, bring to boil 1 tablespoon of stevia/monk fruit blend with ¼ cup of water. You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of whiskey or brandy with the water but restrict the total liquid amount to ¼ cup. Once you have brought the mix to the boil, turn the temperature down and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. The liquid will be slightly syrupy. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly before brushing it onto your slightly warm or cool cake. If the mixture crystallizes, simply reheat, add a dash more water or alcohol and simmer until it liquidizes before using. To Serve - cut the cake and serve as it comes with a cup of tea or coffee. Try warming the cake up slightly and serve it with low carb custard. The cake can also be drizzled with brandy or whiskey prior to heating up. Handy Hint - if the cake has dried out slightly, serve it warm. Freshen it up by spraying lightly with water and microwave for a few seconds to warm it up. Alternatively moisten the cake, cover with foil and warm up in the oven for a few minutes. Cake Pan Tips - when baking cakes, the cake will cook a lot slower and not dome as much if you use a light colored pan. While not vital, it is a great tip to consider when baking. Note that baking powder is not used in this recipe because the cake is meant to be a heavy cake, like a fruit cake. If you want a slightly lighter cake, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe. Storing Tips - in cling wrap or baking paper, wrapped in foil in an airtight container for 3-4 days for ultimate freshness. The recipe freezes really well. Dried Cranberries - Nearly all dried cranberries are sweetened with apple juice, so buying them sugar free is difficult. If you don't want to make your own, use the apple sweetened ones if you don’t mind the additional carbs. I have used the sugar reduced cranberries in recipes before, but they are still higher in sugar than I would probably prefer. By the time a cake or pudding is divided into about 20 serves, the carbs are still quite low though. See my recipe below for Low Carb Christmas Pudding where I used the reduced sugar cranberries and you will see that you can still end up with a low carb serve at the end (if you don’t eat the whole cake!) Dried Blueberries - Dried blueberries are also normally sweetened. I like to buy these particular blueberries from iherb. They are dehydrated but don’t have any added sugars. Once soaked, they swell and are wonderful in cakes and puddings. Note that this brand's dried raspberries and strawberries are divine as well.
Nutritional Information
