Diabetic Christmas Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Mix the sultanas, raisins, brandy and water, and then soak overnight.
• Mix seived pumpkin, eggs, apple concentrate and milk.
• Add the soaked fruit, nuts and spices, then sifted flour and bicarbonate of soda. Return bran left in sieve to flour mixture. Mix well with wooden spoon.
• Spoon into a lightly greased 20cm cake tin.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 200C, then turn down the heat and bake at 180C until cooked through and browned. (approx. 1-1/4 hours).
• Using the apple concentrate gives the sweetness to this cake.

Steps:

• Put the dried fruit, cherries and brandy in a large bowl and stir well to combine and set aside overnight to marinate.
• Preheat oven to 140C (fan forced) or 150C conventional.
• Spray a 18cm (base measurement) square cake pan with cooking spray and then line base and sides with 2 layers of baking/parchment paper, allowing paper to reach 5 cm above the top.
• Place oven rack so top of pan is positioned in the centre of the oven.
• Put eggs , apple puree and spread in a medium bowl and whisk well together and then add to the fruit mixture and mix until well combined.
• Sift flours, cocoa powder, mixed spice and cinnamon into a small bowl, returning any husks from the sieve to the bowl.
• Add flour mixture to the fruit mixture and mix until well combined.
• Spoon mixture into the prepared cake pan pressing firmly into corners with the back of a spoon and smooth surface.
• Drop or tap cake pan onto the bench a few times to settle the mix and then push almonds lightly into the top of the cake in the pattern of your choice.
• Cover the cake pan with a piece of foil and bake for 1 hour, remove the foil and bake for a further 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into centre of the cake comes out clean and the cake is firm to the touch in the middle.
• Trim the overhanging baking paper and then wrap cake , still in the cake pan in 2 clean tea towels to keep it moist as it cools.
• Set aside overnight to cool completely.
• Remove from pan and dust with icing sugar if you like to serve.
• You can chop the fruit in a food processor, using the pulse button.
• This cake will keep for up to 1 month in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Mix the mixed vine fruits in the cognac or whiskey.
• Melt the chopped dates in the 4 tbsps. water very slowly mixing all the time, over low heat. Mix with the vine fruits. Let the mixture stand in a cool place for 3 to 6 hours.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and the mixed spice, add the rinds and the chopped nuts.
• Mix the flour mixture with the fruit mixture well and put the cake mixture in a greased loaf tin measuring approximately 12cms. x 22cms.
• Bake in a preheated oven, gas mark 4 or 195 degrees celius for about 50 mins. Check with a skewer. If it comes out clean, then the cake will be ready.
• Let cool for about 1 hour.