Before you say anything, this fruitcake is DELICIOUS. It's nothing like the dreaded holiday variety, but rather a moist, chewy, nutty, dense loaf with hints of citrus. Once again I have my mother to thank for this, as she scours all resources to find sugar-free, wheat-free treats to bake me! This one is from the sugar-free desserts collection of AllRecipes.com.
1 cup chopped golden raisins
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped cranberries
1 cup unsweetened crushed pineapple
1/4 cup grated lemon peel
1 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tsp Stevia powdered extract (a natural sweetener)
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or oat or spelt)
In a medium bowl, mix stevia with orange juice and stir in chopped cranberries. Soak 1 hour, mixing often.
In a large bowl, mix raisins, nuts, coconut and lemon zest in the flour until well coated. Add cranberries and orange juice mixture. Sprinkle baking soda over mixture, and mix. Stir in spices. Fold in crushed pineapple. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 inch loaf pan. Bake at 325 F for 40-45 minutes. Cool. Makes 1 loaf. Pictured above using spelt flour and dusted with icing sugar (optional).
FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS soak raisins before using; replace cranberries with cherries
PITTAS replace cranberries with cherries, walnuts with almonds, and dry ginger with 1 tsp fresh ginger
KAPHAS rejoice! At last a serious dessert that is Kapha-friendly (with a few adjustments) as it has no added sugar and no oil. Replace walnuts with sunflower seeds or charole, pineapple with strawberries or applesauce, and coconut with pumpkin seeds; use spelt or oat flour
12 comments:
I LOVE fruitcake too. Sad how such a wonderful treat has been vilified here in North America - I blame it on those synthetic cherries and the media. ;) Thank you for sharing this sugarless recipe. I'm completely off sugar right now, and most holiday treats are packed with it. Happy healthy baking!
This actually sounds like an edible alternative to those perfumery fruitcakes that keep getting passed around. This one would be a keeper!
when you mention flaked coconut are you referring to the usual sweetened kind?
I'm so happy to see such enthusiasm for this recipe! Racheyalex, see if you can find actual flaked coconut, which looks like thin slices or shards of coconut. Otherwise, the usual grated kind will work too. :-)
hi~ Claudia~
I always drop by yr blog caz I want to have whole yr tips of food!! it is amazing how beautiful yr food look~~ it's a piece of art~
Did baking the Stevia turn out ok? Every time I try to bake with it, it leaves a terrible taste in my baked goods. I've only tried baking with the liquid version though...
Hi Karen! Hope all is well with you! :-)
Sharon, yes Stevia is usually a bit of a pain to work with, especially in baking. But in this case it actually worked out well! Possibly because of all the dried fruits to temper it?
I've never had fruitcake, and I love that yours is sugar-free. My acupuncturist wants me to eat more poached or soaked fruits, so this is perfect. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hello there,
I am planning to make this cake for a friend who's allergic to wheat and sugar. I have a question. Did you use fresh cranberries or dried ones? Thanks.
Menaka
Hi Menaka,
Great idea to make this cake for your friend! We used dried cranberries, which is why they soak in the orange juice, to make them soft. If your friend can't have sugar, make sure you are buying UNSWEETENED cranberries, as most are sweetened to take the bite out of the sourness. If you can't find unsweetened dried cranberries, you can also try dried cherries. If neither are available, try canned cranberries (in water or juice, not in syrup) and use 1 & 1/3 cup drained cranberries and leave out the orange juice.
Hope this helps!
Have I read the recipe correctly - is it 1/4 cup of lemon rind? Often recipes only call for a teaspoon.
Many thanks for sharing this recipe. Jill :)
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