Welcome back, I hope you and your family enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving celebration (if you are an American reader of course). With one special day now passed, the influx of Christmas preparations will commence. Naturally, I am thrilled to share some of my family’s Christmas traditions with you all.
Before I get ahead of myself, let me slow down enough to share a recipe that made its way to our Thanksgiving dessert table- a cozy winter cake. A cake filled with spices and all things “nice-es”. My spiced cake features cranberries, mulling spices, and royal icing. Cranberries are an iconic Thanksgiving food- yes, but also a noteworthy Christmas food. In my opinion, this winter cake recipe is the perfect mix of the two holidays.
Won’t you join me, and my family, as we share one of our favorite winter cake recipes. Follow me into the kitchen.
~Cozy Winter Cake~
Doesn’t a cozy winter cake sound inviting and warm? Yes, yes it does! But what is a winter cake anyway?
In my opinion, a winter cake is any cake that warms the soul- and comforts the belly. It is a cake baked with love- and filled to the brim- with fragrant spices, brown sugar, and seasonal fruits. What better cake recipe to share than my cranberry spice cake. For, this cozy winter cake is filled with tart cranberries, sweet mulling spices, decadent brown sugar, rich golden syrup, and a delicious royal icing.
Naturally, a winter cake recipe can be adapted to suit your individual taste. For example, the cranberries could be switched out for raisins or dried cranberries. The Royal icing could also be switched to a cinnamon glaze or a cream cheese frosting. Really, the sky is the limit.
~Cranberries~
Love them or hate them, cranberries are a lovely ingredient to work with. I find them beautiful to look at- and delicious to eat. While some people think of cranberries as too tart or sour, they can be used to enhance many sweet dishes. And, with a little creativity and a wee extra step, cranberries can become an edible piece of art. Winter cranberry spice cake makes any occasion memorable.
~Homemade Mulling Spice~
A quick story: I lived in England for two Christmas periods, and it was a magical experience. The Christmas villages were sweet and festive. The pubs would decorate for Christmas and always had a roaring fire- which obviously added to the ambiance. I remember one pub drink in particular that was very popular during the Christmas season. That pub drink was mulled wine. While not personally a fan of mulled wine, I can see how the spicy warmth of the drink made the season festive.
Recently, I was shopping in Publix, and I noticed a silver bag filled with mulling spice. I purchased it as I thought it would be a sweet treat for my husband. As I looked at the ingredients list, I said to myself, “I can make this!” – and that is exactly what I did.
Some mulling spice recipes use quite a few more ingredients than I did, but I wanted to keep my life simple and inexpensive. This particular recipe for mulling spices can be added to wine or ciders. It can also be added to baked goods. Therefore, if you like spicy Christmas flavors, then this mulled spice mixture is for you.
~Making the Mulling Spice~
Easy Homemade Mulling Spices
Ingredients
Method
- Add all ingredients into a small bowl and stir until well combined. Use in baked goods or hot drinks. Store in an airtight container.
~Sidenote: The Baking Supplies from Aldi~
Every baker knows that baking equipment is important. However, good quality baking supplies do not always come at a premium price. I have always found that the kitchen goods, in the Aldi finds isle, have been made of quality materials- and yet, they are sold at an inexpensive price point.
A few weeks ago, I got these cute baking items. The silicon bundt pan mold was a new product for me to work with. (Generally, I use a metal bundt pan for my cakes). However, the silicon bundt mold was a pleasure to work with. I still greased and floured the mold before adding my cake batter, but I found the baked cake easily slid out of the mold once it had cooled.
My one tip would be to make sure you put a baking sheet under the silicon bundt mold before placing your cake in the oven. This gives it the stability it needs to be removed from the oven.
The other ramekins and small bread/cake dishes were so adorable that I had to grab those little guys too. My top tip is to always take a moment to walk through the Aldi finds isle, for there are certainly treasures to be found there.
~Making the Winter Cake (Cranberry Spice Cake)~
Cranberry Spice Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bunt cake pan. Set aside.
- Cream softened butter until light and airy. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined.
- Add golden syrup to the creamed sugars. Then add eggs, sour cream, half and half, and vanilla.
- In a separate mixing bowl- add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and homemade mulling spice. Stir to combine all ingredients evenly. (Set aside one to two tablespoons of the flour mixture to coat the cranberries in).
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix just until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Wash the cranberries and pat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle the cranberries with the flour that was set aside. Gently fold the cranberries into the batter.
- Pour batter into the prepared bunt pan and bake in preheated oven- until a toothpick comes out clean- and the top is golden brown. Ovens, baking pans, and times may vary.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the royal icing (see Royal Icing Recipe).
Notes
~A Mulled Wine Inspiration~
As I mentioned before, the mulled wine in England was the main inspiration for this cake. Basically, I made a yellow cake batter, but I added my homemade Golden syrup, my homemade mulling spices, sour cream, half and half, and the cranberries.
English Christmas cakes often have fruit and spices in them… so I guess you could say this recipe is an amalgamation of my creativity and several cake types. It is a lovely cake to have alongside a cuppa tea.
~Making the Royal Icing~
Royal Icing for Christmas Spice Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Separate the egg white from the egg yolks. Whisk the egg white with a fork for about 15 seconds (until it begins to create small bubbles on the surface).
- To the egg whites, add 2 cups of the sifted powdered sugar and the lemon juice. Stir with a spoon for approximately ten minutes or until the icing is very white and smooth. Add the rest of the powdered sugar until all the sugar has disappeared.
- Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.
Notes
~Put the Kettle On, Your Cake is Served~
~Until Next Time~
In conclusion, I hope this post has helped to put you all in the Christmas spirit. If you are planning to decorate your home for Christmas this weekend, perhaps a cozy winter cranberry spice cake would pair well with your Christmas decorations.
I will see you all next Friday for more English recipes, seasonal thrifts, and homeschool crafts. Remember to check out my (1) Pinterest and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576612642003 pages for more ideas and information- and feel free to subscribe and share my post if they have proven helpful and encouraging to you.
I am thankful for your support.
~Elizabeth~