alternative christmas cake

The smooth, creamy liqueur gives this celebration cheesecake the wow factor. Top with grated chocolate and a dusting of cocoa.

Irish cream and chocolate cheesecake

grams/3½oz butter

250 grams/8¾oz digestive biscuits, crushed

cream cheese

milliliters/1fl oz Baileys

milliliters/3½oz icing sugar

300 milliliters/10½oz double cream, whipped

grams/3½oz chocolate

200 milliliters/7¼oz double cream, whipped

cocoa powder, to dust

Panforte is a traditional Italian dessert made with fruits, nuts and spices - somewhere between a fruitcake and a candy!

Vegan Panforte

280 g / 1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit

tbsp cacao powder

cinnamon

tsp ground mixed spice

brown sugar, (or coconut sugar)

olive oil

120 ml / 1/2 cup boiled water

Icing sugar, (confectioners sugar)

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Oil the...

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Oil the sides and line the base of a 30cm spring-form tin with non-stick paper.

Mix the nuts, fruit, peel, cacao powder, spices...

Mix the nuts, fruit, peel, cacao powder, spices and ﬂour in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, add the maple syrup,...

In a small saucepan, add the maple syrup, brown sugar and olive oil. Mix on a medium heat until the sugar has been dissolved. Stir in the hot water.

Stir the wet into the dry and mix...

Stir the wet into the dry and mix until everything is well combined.

Transfer the mixture to the baking tin and...

Transfer the mixture to the baking tin and press down evenly with a spoon or wet hands.

Bake for 25 minutes or until you can...

Bake for 25 minutes or until you can see the sides of the cake start to bubble slightly.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10...

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely.

Dust with icing sugar and serve.

My STP is altogether deeper and darker than the original version: it is still sweet, but the muscovado sugar and black treacle give it an almost savage intensity. It seems redolent of ginger, cloves, allspice – and yet none of these spices are used. It’s a miracle. I don’t understand it – but then, miracles are not to be questioned.

Equipment: You will need a 23x23cm/9x9in square baking dish. 

Nigella's sticky toffee pudding

200 milliliters/7fl oz water

tsp bicarbonate of soda

grams/2½oz unsalted butter, softened,

tbsp black treacle

grams/1¾oz dark muscovado sugar

free-range eggs,

150 grams/5½oz plain flour

tsp baking powder

grams/5½oz unsalted butter, softened

300 grams/10½oz dark muscovado sugar

200 milliliters/7fl oz double cream,

Nigella embraces the cosiness of tradition with a Christmas Classic, Sticky Toffee Pudding. The muscovado sugar and black treacle give her version an almost savage intensity

Nigella's Sticky Toffee Pudding

Most of the time I refer to this as my Cider and five-spice gingerbread, but I changed the name out of concern for those who expect a little more gingeriness from their gingerbead. If you want to intensify the ginger element, use 250ml/9fl oz ginger beer in place of the cider.

This cake is wonderful enough plain as it is, though I have something of a faiblesse for the gleaming accompaniment of the smoky salted caramel sauce, as you can see from the picture.

For this recipe you will need a 2½/4½ pints litre capacity bundt tin or a 20cm/8in square cake tin (approx. 5½cm/2¼in deep).

Cider and five-spice bundt cake

250 milliliters/9fl oz cider,

175 milliliters/6fl oz sunflower oil,

grams/3½oz soft dark brown sugar

grams/10½oz black treacle (use an oiled 1-cup measure for ease)

eggs

3cm/1¼in piece (15 grams/½oz) fresh root

300 grams/10½oz plain flour

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder

unsalted butter

grams/1¾oz soft light brown sugar

grams/1¾oz caster sugar

golden syrup

125 milliliters/4fl oz double cream

smoked sea salt flakes,

Most of the time I refer to this as my Cider and five-spice gingerbread, but I changed the name out of concern for those who expect a little more gingeriness from their gingerbead. If you want to intensify the ginger element, use 250ml/9fl oz ginger beer in place of the cider. This cake is wonderful enough plain as it is, though I have something of a faiblesse for the gleaming accompaniment of the Smoky salted caramel sauce, as you can see from the picture.

Cider and 5-spice bundt cake

Oh boy! Chocolate, cheesecake – what’s not to like? And everyone knows that Belgian chocolate is the best in the world. Just thinking about this makes us weak at the knees – not one for the faint hearted.

Top 5 alternative christmas cake recipes from across the web

The most viewed alternative christmas cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Irish cream and chocolate cheesecak...

Vegan Panforte

Nigella's sticky toffee pudding

Cider and five-spice bundt cake

Chocolate cheesecake

Top 5 alternative christmas cake recipes from across the web

The most viewed alternative christmas cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Irish cream and chocolate cheesecak...

Vegan Panforte

Nigella's sticky toffee pudding

Cider and five-spice bundt cake

Chocolate cheesecake

The most viewed alternative christmas cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine