I feel the need this year to celebrate Christmas more. I love fruit cakes but members of my family and myself aim to reduce sugar in our diets; hence the Keto cake recipe. You can find the original recipe here. I had to search out dried cranberries and cherries free of added sugar. I chose not to use dried blueberries as I felt it was a bit insipid. Make sure you weigh or measure accurately. There is a lot of liquid in the recipe and I was a little apprehensive that it wouldn’t turn out well. When it came out of the oven, it had risen quite well and had a nice spring to it which meant it was cooked (use the skewer to test) and moist.
As it was made in advance of Christmas, I have frozen it. I will upload a photo when we celebrate with a slice on Christmas Eve and a glass of Keto expresso martini.
Watch out for this post and other Christmas recipes.
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes | Servings: 20
Nutrition for 1 serving: calories 180 | carbs 6g | protein 5g |fat 15g | fibre 3g
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar free dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup sugar free dried blueberries (I used dried cherries instead)
- 1/4 cup brandy (you can also use 1/4 cup whiskey if you’d prefer, or a scented tea such as earl grey) (I used brandy)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 100 grams melted butter (or mild flavoured extra virgin olive oil) (I used a lactose-free butter)
- 1/4 cup nut milk of choice (I used unsweetened coconut milk)
- 2 tbsps of orange zest/and or lemon zest
- 220 grams blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup stevia (or 1/2 cup erythritol or xylitol) (I used erythritol)
- 1 cup almond slivers or blanched almonds (I used half a cup of chopped pecan nuts instead)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsps mixed spice (or pumpkin spice mix)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of ground black pepper (a small pinch)
- a pinch of cardamom (I didn’t use this as I’m not keen on the strong flavour)
Method:
- In a bowl, soak the dried cranberries and cherries in the brandy (or whiskey/tea) for as long as possible. Overnight is ideal.
- Preheat the oven to 165 degrees Celsius.
- Grease an 8 inch round baking pan, with butter/oil and line the base with grease-proof paper.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs with an electric mixer, until light and frothy.
- To the eggs, add the rest of the wet ingredients: vanilla extract, melted butter, and coconut milk. Mix until well combined.
- In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients: orange zest, almond flour, coconut flour, erythritol, almond slivers (I used pecan nuts), baking soda, mixed spice, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and cardamom. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated, and the baking soda is well dispersed. I used a balloon whisk to get rid of small lumps of baking soda in the mix.
- Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, until all ingredients are well combined.
- Then finally, fold the dried cranberries and blueberries through the batter, until well dispersed. Ensure not to over mix.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin, and smooth off the top. Decorate with additional nuts if desired.
- Bake the cake on the middle shelf, for around 35-40 minutes, or until the cake is cooked on the inside. Check with a skewer. Ensure you do not overcook the cake, if its browning too quickly, drop the temperature a little.
- Once cooked, allow the cake to cool within the pan for around 10-15 minutes. Tip the cake out onto a cooling rack, and wrap in cling film, this will ensure the cake keeps it’s moist texture.
Notes:
- To serve: try warming the cake up slightly and serve with custard. The cake can be drizzled with brandy or whisky prior to heating it up.
- Tips: if the cake has dried out slightly, serve it warm. Spray the cake lightly with water, and microwave for a few seconds. Alternatively, you can cover the cake with foil, and warm up in the oven for a few minutes.
- Note that baking powder is not used within this recipe, the cake is meant to be heavy, like a fruit cake. If you want a lighter cake, you can add 1-2 tsps of baking powder to the recipe.
- Storing: in cling film or grease-proof paper, wrapped in foil in an airtight container for 3-4 days for maximum freshness. The recipe also freezes well.
Variations:
- Slivered almonds can be swapped for blanched almonds, walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts.
- Switch the blueberries and cranberries for 1 cup of mixed fruit of choice, such as 1 cup of cranberries, mixed fruit, fruit peel etc.
Low Carb Glaze: if desired, you can add a glaze to the top of your cake.
- To make a glaze, bring to a boil 1 tbsp of stevia/erythritol/xylitol with 1/4 cup water. You can also add 1-2 tbsps of whiskey or brandy with the water.
- Once you have brought the mix to the boil, lower the temperature to a simmer, for around 2-3 minutes. The mixture should be syrupy.
- Remove from the heat, and allow the mixture to cool before brushing it onto your cake.
- Note: If the mixture crystallises, simply reheat, and add a dash of more water or alcohol and simmer until it liquidises.
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