Dessert: Spiced Holiday Fruitcake

A perfect holiday dessert that's deliciously sweet and spiced!

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Lemon, Pineapple

Health and fertility benefits of Spiced Holiday Fruitcake

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to. Pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
4 cups sugar, divided
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
1 (13 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 cup maraschino cherries, halved

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 º.
Prepare 3 9-inch cake pans, by greasing and flouring them.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the butter and 2 cups of sugar, cream together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In separate medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture alternating with the milk each time into the creamed butter and sugar mixture, make sure to end with the flour. Add the vanilla and mix well.
Divide the batter into thirds. Pour two thirds into each of the prepared cake pans. To the remaining one third batter, add the spice layer (cinnamon, clove, allspice, raisins and pecans) and fold to combine completely. Pour over the existing batter in the cake pans.
Bake at 350 º for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the cake pans for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack.
Meanwhile, while the cakes are baking, prepare the filling/topping. In a medium sauce pot over medium heat; add 2 cups sugar, cornstarch, boiling water, stir until blended; add the pineapple, coconut, zest and juice of the lemons, let cook over medium until thickened. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly and stir in the cherries.
When assembling the layers, start with 1 cake, spread an even layer of the filling over top and repeat with each cake layer, finishing with the fruit topping.

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