Very Icelandic Christmas cake

This is a cake that my Ebba (born 1911, I am named after her) used to bake a lot, and not only around Christmas (even though it is always called Christmas cake in Iceland). It is easy to make and tastes lovely, especially with coffee or tea.

 

I hope you try it!


Christmas Cake

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 45-55 mins
Yields: ca. 10

Ingredients

  • 300g organic fine spelt
  • 100g organic sugar (less refined)
  • 3 tsp baking powder (wheat free and aluminium free)
  • 2 good tsp cardamom powder (very important)
  • 1 tsp lemon essence (important)
  • 1-2 organic eggs
  • 100g butter, melted
  • 180-200g organic yoghurt (pure)
  • 50ml (ca 50g) lukewarm water or you can use more yoghurt or any milk you like to make a dough (not to stiff)
  • 70-100g organic sultanas (light raisins)

Method

  1. Heat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5
  2. First you stir together the dry ingredients and then you add the rest except the raisins.
  3. Do not stir too much or the dough will become stiff.
  4. Add more water, yoghurt or milk if the dough is too dry.
  5. Add the raisins last and stir them in gently with a spatula, for example.
  6. Put the dough into a 8x26cm bread mold and bake for around 45-55 minutes.

Additional Info

I halved the sugar that was originally in the recipe, I think it does not matter but you can add more if you like. I feel that the cardamom and lemon essence make up for it, since they highlight the sweetness and aroma of the cake. I love using organic pure yoghurt when baking cakes and breads but you can always substitute it with coconut milk and 1 tsp or tbsp of fresh lemon/lime juice. The sourness of the yoghurt/lemon/lime helps the dough rise better and makes the spelt even more digestable for us since it helps break down starch.

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