Hey there! I've never met you before. Want some cake? You probably want to be my friend now.
Good. Because I'm really nervous about making a horrible first impression. No, really. My palms are sweating as I type. Don't worry, I won't get any sweat on the cake. :P
I wasn't sure how to begin my first post, but I figured that I couldn't go wrong if I brought some cake. While this blog is health-focused, there isn't anything wrong with a treat. Like, ever. Especially at this time of year. I'm not being sarcastic or justifying sugar binges. Dessert is perfectly alright. In the end, it's all just food. No one ever stuffs themselves silly with broccoli for the hell of it, and the same should be practiced with candy. It's all food. Make choices that honor your body's cravings, eat to satisfaction, enjoy what you taste without guilt. It's just food.
There's hardly ever a day where I don't eat something at least somewhat sugary, and it isn't always the "cleanest" or most "natural" option. I like ice cream (Caribbean Coconut Talenti, anyone?) as much as I like super dark chocolate with dates. However, I have a palate for wholesome goodies, and prefer to bake with such. This fruit cake is my vision of a balanced dessert: sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and packed with nourishing foods. In honor of the first post here, I present you with my very first original recipe!
Good. Because I'm really nervous about making a horrible first impression. No, really. My palms are sweating as I type. Don't worry, I won't get any sweat on the cake. :P
I wasn't sure how to begin my first post, but I figured that I couldn't go wrong if I brought some cake. While this blog is health-focused, there isn't anything wrong with a treat. Like, ever. Especially at this time of year. I'm not being sarcastic or justifying sugar binges. Dessert is perfectly alright. In the end, it's all just food. No one ever stuffs themselves silly with broccoli for the hell of it, and the same should be practiced with candy. It's all food. Make choices that honor your body's cravings, eat to satisfaction, enjoy what you taste without guilt. It's just food.
There's hardly ever a day where I don't eat something at least somewhat sugary, and it isn't always the "cleanest" or most "natural" option. I like ice cream (Caribbean Coconut Talenti, anyone?) as much as I like super dark chocolate with dates. However, I have a palate for wholesome goodies, and prefer to bake with such. This fruit cake is my vision of a balanced dessert: sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and packed with nourishing foods. In honor of the first post here, I present you with my very first original recipe!
This fruit cake has the zing of traditional fruit cakes with spicy notes from the cinnamon and ginger, all the bold sweetness of molasses, and is positively bursting with fruity goodness. Most fruit cakes use a combination of candied or dried fruit, but neither of these is a staple in my kitchen. I ,mostly used fresh fruit, since that is definitely always in the fridge. Can you tell how spontaneously this was made? I literally threw this together on a whim. By the grace of all things merry and bright, it turned out deliciously.
Spontaneous Fruit Cake
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (regular yogurt may work here)
4 eggs
1 tbsp apricot jam
The juice of two oranges
Zest of an orange, to taste (I used about 1/2 of an orange)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp caramel extract (If you don't have it, just use more vanilla)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Mix-In's! (Super Customizable!):
1 small apple, chopped into chunks (I used a Pink Lady! My favorite!)
2 clementines, torn into pieces
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into chunks
1 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped
Almonds to decorate the top with (optional)
1) Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare a baking dish by greasing the inside. It might be easier to go ahead and cut up all your fruit/nuts before we start mixing.
2) Melt coconut oil in the microwave or over the stove. While the oil is still hot, mix the apricot jam in. It's easier to incorporate the jam this way.
3) Mix all your dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients except for the vinegar. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until well-combined. The batter should be sort of thick - don't panic. Coconut flour is a freak of nature.
4) Fold in your mix-in's. You can go ahead and add the vinegar in now, too.
5) Plop your batter into your greased dish and press down as needed. If you want to get all fancy-schmancy, decorate the top with some almonds. You could even get crazy with some more fruit. Be spontaneous! ;)
6) Bake at 350 for about an hour, keeping an eye on the cake to make sure it doesn't burn. It's done when you can run a knife through the middle and it comes out clean.
7) Let cool before digging in. Let's not burn our tongues on the tasty.
Merry Christmas! Here's to hoping you enjoy this recipe and want to continue being my friend. It just occurred to me that making friends with baked goods is just as easy as losing friends because you give them crappy baked goods. Oh, dear.
Keep living and loving,
Cassidy
PS. Next time I post, I'll have a super amazing workout to share! I hope you get all the energy you need from your Christmas nom-noms. >:)
Spontaneous Fruit Cake
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (regular yogurt may work here)
4 eggs
1 tbsp apricot jam
The juice of two oranges
Zest of an orange, to taste (I used about 1/2 of an orange)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp caramel extract (If you don't have it, just use more vanilla)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Mix-In's! (Super Customizable!):
1 small apple, chopped into chunks (I used a Pink Lady! My favorite!)
2 clementines, torn into pieces
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into chunks
1 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped
Almonds to decorate the top with (optional)
1) Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare a baking dish by greasing the inside. It might be easier to go ahead and cut up all your fruit/nuts before we start mixing.
2) Melt coconut oil in the microwave or over the stove. While the oil is still hot, mix the apricot jam in. It's easier to incorporate the jam this way.
3) Mix all your dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients except for the vinegar. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until well-combined. The batter should be sort of thick - don't panic. Coconut flour is a freak of nature.
4) Fold in your mix-in's. You can go ahead and add the vinegar in now, too.
5) Plop your batter into your greased dish and press down as needed. If you want to get all fancy-schmancy, decorate the top with some almonds. You could even get crazy with some more fruit. Be spontaneous! ;)
6) Bake at 350 for about an hour, keeping an eye on the cake to make sure it doesn't burn. It's done when you can run a knife through the middle and it comes out clean.
7) Let cool before digging in. Let's not burn our tongues on the tasty.
Merry Christmas! Here's to hoping you enjoy this recipe and want to continue being my friend. It just occurred to me that making friends with baked goods is just as easy as losing friends because you give them crappy baked goods. Oh, dear.
Keep living and loving,
Cassidy
PS. Next time I post, I'll have a super amazing workout to share! I hope you get all the energy you need from your Christmas nom-noms. >:)
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