This is an easy cake and you can substitute just about any nut for the almonds and any berry for the cranberry. It began as an adaption from a Bon Appétit recipe. As my family will tell you, I can never leave a recipe alone until it tastes the way I think it should taste. The best results seem to be with frozen berries so if you start with a fresh berry, just give them a quick freeze first. Using frozen berries seem to add to the moisture nicely. The same goes for the spices, you can use any spices you like as you would for a spice cake. My youngest daughter used to say "this is so good, my tummy is dancing" whenever she ate something she liked. So play around with the recipe until your "tummy dances". And for those of you worried about calories- first and foremost, tell yourself- "it's the holiday season, time to indulge" and if you can't get yourself to believe that, remember this. Cranberries have many health benefits- they contain flavonoids which help reduce the bad cholesterol that clogs arteries and helps the good cholesterol, they have proanthocyanidins which prevent bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract and now they believe it has an important role in cancer prevention among many other benefits. The nuts are packed full of proteins, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are a source of good fats which many people fail to realize we need- people assume all fats are "bad". Yogurt contains probiotics - which help with things like lactose intolerance, viral infections, bacterial infections and eczema to name a few. New studies have shown it helps your heart as well. And for heaven's sake, do not substitute anything for the butter. I can show you source after source that proves our grandmothers knew best- butter is so much better for you than any fake substitute. So feel good about baking this cake for you, your kids or friends. And it makes a great hostess gift. You can bake them in little ramekins or small forms so you can give them away. Just omit the glaze if you are worried about mess, wrap it in some plastic or a pretty container, and pop a bow on it and viola- the perfect gift. I have done this with a few of my recipes and if it has a messy glaze or frosting, I write a little tag with the recipe on it so the receiver can add it. You can serve this cake plain, glazed or with a favorite frosting. This is also a great recipe to do with children. Unlike many so called experts on baking claim, not all baking is a science and has to be perfect. This cake can handle over beating, little fingers and sloppy timing. And it isn't so messy that the results are like glue and hard to remove from a little one's hair. So enough rambling, here is the recipe- make it your own way and have fun cooking! 2 cups of all purpose flour ¾ cup of ground almonds (if you cannot find this which I could not, just purchase almonds and throw them in a blender or food processer, grind until it is almost like flour) 2 ½ teaspoons of Chinese five spice powder (a mix of fennel seeds, Schechuan peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and star anise. You can use whatever spice mix you like- one of my friends prefers cardamom in this) 1 teaspoon of baking powder ½ teaspoon of baking soda ½ teaspoon of salt ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon of ground ginger 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, room temperature 1 cup of sugar 1 cup of packed golden brown sugar 3 large eggs 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (quick note about this- Greek yogurt is better than American yogurts because it has a thicker, creamier consistency. Less whey. I don't know enough about local yogurts but perhaps you do. You need a creamy, thick, plain yogurt without a bunch of fake stabilizers which the Greeks do not use. Do not use American yogurts for this recipe- they add stabilizers and additives which change the taste. If you cannot find Greek (Sultan Centre carries an organic Greek that I used here, then at least put your yogurt (if it has additives and whey- you will see liquid if it does) in a colander and let it drain off the whey.) 1 cup of almonds, chopped into as small a piece as you like. I usually throw them in a bag and hit them with a rolling pin a few times. 2 cups of frozen cranberries (do not thaw before you add them) For glaze, if you are glazing the cake- 1/3 cup of powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar) 2 teaspoons of orange juice Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C). Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan or round pan. Mix the first 8 ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Then add both sugars to the butter. Beat until it is fluffy, usually about 2-3 minutes. Then add the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla and the yogurt. When all of that is mixed up, add the dry ingredients from the first bowl and mix until it is incorporated. Now fold in your cranberries and almonds. Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 1 to 1 ¼ hours until a skewer or knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 minutes then invert it onto a plate. (Place a plate over your cake and flip over so the cake comes out.) Let it cool a bit longer while you make the icing. To make the icing, just mix the powdered sugar and juice together. Pour it over your cake and allow it to drip down the sides. Let stand until it is set, about thirty minutes. I forgot to take pictures of it during cooking and before serving. I served it to friends and it was a hit so this is what is left.
