Veggie Christmas Cake
I’ve never been a big fan of traditional Christmas cake with its topping of marzipan and thick royal icing. This is my alternative, stuffed full of spices, fruit and veg. It’s a more rustic affair, topped with a layer of barely-there buttercream and some honeyed vegetables for decoration. Feel free to give the veggie topping a miss and crown it with just a few holly leaves and a winter rose if you prefer.
Higgidy Hack: Before it is iced, this cake can be made well in advance of Christmas and either stored in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to a month. Defrost thoroughly before icing and decorating.
Serves:
10Equipment:
- 20cm round cake tin, about 7cm deep; baking sheet
Ingredients
For the cake
225ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
225g light brown muscovado sugar
4 eggs
225g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
75g sultanas
2 balls of stem ginger, roughly chopped
100g carrots, scrubbed and coarsely grated
100g parsnips, scrubbed and coarsely grated
4–5 Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
50g pecan nuts, chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Rosemary sprigs, to decorate (optional)
For the buttercream
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
300g icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2–3 tablespoons milk
For the honeyed vegetable decoration (optional)
1 large carrot, peeled
2 large parsnips, peeled
30g butter, melted
30g caster sugar
1 tablespoon honey
Squeeze of fresh orange juice
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20cm round cake tin, then line with non-s tick baking paper.
- 2
Put the oil, muscovado sugar and eggs into a large bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground spices to the bowl and mix to combine. Now add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- 3
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 1½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover the cake with a clean tea towel and set aside to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then turn ont o a wire rack to cool completely.
- 4
To make the buttercream, place the butter and icing sugar in a large bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and milk and mix ag ain until well combined. Spread the buttercream generously over the top of the cold cake, and scarcely over the sides.
- 5
If making the honeyed vegetable decorations, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6
- 6
Using a vegetable peeler, slice the carrot and parsnips into thin ribbons. Place them in a large bowl. In a small saucepan over a low heat, warm the butter, sugar, honey and orange juice, stirring, until the mixture is syrupy. Pour the syrup over the vegetables and toss to coat. Place the vegetables on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, or until caramelised.
- 7
Remove the honeyed vegetables from the oven and set aside to cool before decorating the top of the cake with them.
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