Food for Brains : All Spice Christmas Cake Recipe

This beautiful, colourful and warming Christmas cake recipe from Mira Manek is an absolute favourite of ours for our Food for Brains recipe collection. This recipe provides a cake which is sweet, nutty, juicy and packed with delicious and healthy spices which are sure will satisfy the festive nostalgia in everyone. To top it off, this recipe has a creamy frosting made from cashews, vanilla and coconut oil, so you can enjoy a Christmas cake which is rich, satisfying and healthy.This Christmas cake is abundant with almonds, cashews, pistachios, ginger, nutmeg and a heap of brain-boosting spices which are all fantastic for contributing to a healthy brain and mind, without needing to miss out on the Christmas indulgence. 

[divider]INGREDIENTS[/divider]

[one_half]For the cakeAlmonds 100g, around ¾ cupSpelt or whole wheat flour 150gCoconut oil 120gHoney or coconut sugar 5 tablespoonsGround cinnamon 2 tablespoonsGround ginger 3 tablespoonsNutmeg ¼ teaspoonClove pinch ofSalt pinch ofCranberries 2 tablespoonsSultanas 2 tablespoonsPrunes handful, 5Pistachios handful, roughly[/one_half][one_half]For the FrostingCashews 100gAgave nectar 60gCoconut oil 40gVanilla essence 1 tablespoonAlmond milk 5 tablespoons To blendSatsumas 2Almond milk 4 tablespoons[/one_half] 

[divider]Method[/divider]

1. Start by soaking the cashews in water for a couple of hours or overnight. If squeezed for time, soak in hot water for an hour.2. To make the cake, preheat the oven to gas mark 4 / 180C3. Now blend the almonds in a high speed blender so it forms a flour. Alternatively you can use ready almond flour. Now mix together the two flours and the spices.4. Blend the satsumas with almond milk and melt the coconut oil. You can add the dried fruits into the coconut oil while melting to soften them but this isn’t necessary.5. Pour both these into the cake batter. Add the honey or coconut sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and the dried fruits and pistachios if not already added. Mix well and vigorously.6. Tip the batter into a cake tin and place in the oven for around 40 minutes.7. While the cake is baking, make the cashew frosting. Remove the water from the cashews, melt the coconut oil and blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender. Taste for sweetness and pour over the cake. If it seems too thick to pour, add a little more almond milk or water.8. You can tell that the cake is baked by piercing all the way through with a fork. If the fork comes out clean, the cake is baked. Let the cake cool for a while then remove from tin. Pour over the cashew cream and garnish with pomegranates and pistachios. 

[divider]Cubex Brain Energy Tip[/divider]

• Cashews are packed of iron, magnesium, Vitamin B6, protein and important amino acids, and even omega 3 fats. All of these nutrients directly ward off mild depression and anxiety naturally. Source:One Green Planet
• Coconut oil has gone from bad food status to super food status and for a variety of good reasons including its great potential to delay brain aging and to help with treating memory loss and other neurological diseases including dementia. Researchers also found that coconut oil can be as effective for depression as prescription antidepressant medications, without the side effects. This success was attributed to coconut oil’s unique combination of medium-chain fatty acids and antioxidants.
• Almonds have a good a source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, the same as those found in Avocado and Olive Oil. They also contain many minerals including manganese, copper, magnesium and B vitamins which activate energy production in the body, helping you to keep active and busy. Source: Health Ambition

[divider]More 'Food for Brains' recipes from Mira Manek[/divider]

Many of our healthy, delicious and nutritious Food for Brains recipes are taken from Saffron Soul, a cookbook from Mira Manek which in inspired by Indian family cooking but with modern twists & nutritious additions.Indian food is an internationally popular cuisine, yet, unfairly, it is often considered to be heavy, rich and indulgent. With more people than ever before turning to healthy home cooking there has never been a better time for a fresh and lighter take on Indian food – one that Mira is creating with her vibrant and healthy cooking style.Saffron Soul is available to buy from Cubex - get in touch to get a copy![contact link="213.175.217.238/~cubex/cubex/contact" text="Buy a copy of Saffron Soul"]