When it comes to Christmas desserts I love to go busy and bright. This festive wreath cake is a vibrant treat for both the eyes and taste buds, and could certainly be described as maximalist (but in the best way)! Fresh As berries and mandarin slices are used for color and flavour, but feel free to use whatever inspires you - so long so it’s over-the-top!
Serves 12
x Jordan
For the cake:
150g butter, room temp
200g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of ½ orange
4 free range eggs
50ml light olive oil
70g ground almonds
250g white all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp allspice
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp ground cardamom
180g Greek yogurt
100g dark chocolate chips
100g sultanas or raisins
100g dried cranberries
Saffron glaze:
¼ tsp saffron threads
2 tbsp milk, warm
150g icing sugar
For the decorations:
Handful Fresh As freeze-dried berries
Handful Fresh As Freeze-dried mandarin slices
A few sprigs fresh herbs
A few fresh flowers
1-2 sheets of edible gold or silver leaf
Preheat the oven to 170ºC fan bake. Grease a 22 cm bundt tin very well.
To make the cake, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and zest until pale, light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one by one mixture along with the oil
In a large bowl combine the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
In 2 parts fold in the dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix.
Gently fold through the yogurt.
Finally, fold through the dried fruit and chocolate chips. Be very careful not to overmix.
Spoon into the bundt tin and spread out to the sides.
Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes. The cake is ready when golden in color, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool for around 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a cooling rack.
While the cake is cooling, make the saffron glaze. Place the saffron in a small dish along with the warmed milk. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to infuse the milk with the saffron threads.
Once the milk has reached the desired color, gradually mix it into the icing sugar until the desired glaze consistency has been reached. You can add more icing sugar if you want it to be thicker, and you can add more milk if it’s too thin.
Drizzle the glaze over the cake and then decorate as desired.
Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.