Edible gifts. Cranberry and almond Christmas cake

Sometimes the best gift to give a person is a gift of something tasty, like this cake. Very simple to make, it makes everyone happy, bursting with flavors of Christmas spice and everything nice. 

Ingredients

120 g butter
80 g honey
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange blossom water
2 tbsp orange liquor
160 g sour cream or crème fraiche
3 eggs
240 g flour 
40 g polenta
100 g Demerara sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
nutmeg freshly grated
120 g soft dried cherries
50 g slivered almonds

cream:
300 g cream cheese
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp orange liquor
pinch of sea salt

Prepare

Preheat the oven to 190°. Line a 20-22 cm baking pan with baking paper. Melt the butter with honey and let it cool. Add extract, blossom water, liquor, sour cream and eggs. Mix with a hand balloon whisk just to incorporate. 

In a bowl, mix flour, polenta, sugar, salt, baking powder, soda, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add the flour into the liquid mixture and mix until it is half way incorporated. Add cranberries and almonds and mix until fully incorporated, but do not over mix. 

Fill the pan, spread the batter evenly, and bake in the middle of the oven for 40-50 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. When done, remove and cool 30 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Before giving it as a gift, decorate with cream. In a bowl, add cream, honey, liquor and salt. Mix with a mixer on low speed for 30 seconds just until creamy. Spread on the cake (if it has risen too much, cut the top off to make it even). Decorate as you wish and the gift is ready. 

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s
Plates, table and Christmas decorations: HM Home