Description
These Chocolate Cranberry Christmas Mini Cakes are a festive, vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free treat perfect for holiday celebrations. Featuring rich cacao, tart cranberry chia jam, and a smooth vegan chocolate coating, these mini cakes offer a deliciously moist and flavorful indulgence that everyone can enjoy. The recipe combines wholesome flours and natural sweeteners to create a healthy yet indulgent dessert option.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 3/4 cup brown rice flour (110 grams)
- 1/2 cup quinoa flour (60 grams)
- 1/4 cup arrowroot (30 grams)
- 1/4 cup cacao powder (30 grams)
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (80 ml)
- 1/3 cup olive oil (80 ml)
- 1/4 cup aquafaba (60 ml)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup rice milk (120 ml)
Cranberry Chia Jam:
- 1 cup cranberries (100 grams)
- 1/4 cup orange juice (60 ml)
- Little orange zest
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Small cinnamon stick (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Coating:
- 3.5-ounce dark vegan chocolate (100 grams)
- 1/4 cup rice milk (60 ml)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Fresh or dried cranberries (for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9″ x 9″ baking tin with baking paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together brown rice flour, quinoa flour, arrowroot, cacao powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and a pinch of sea salt. This mixture forms the dry base of the cake batter.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk maple syrup, olive oil, aquafaba, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and rice milk until thoroughly blended to provide moisture and binding to the cake batter.
- Mix Batter: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients and mix until well combined. The consistency should be pourable but not too thin, ensuring a moist cake texture.
- Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking tin and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the center comes out clean indicating doneness.
- Cool and Cut: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely before carefully removing it from the tin. On a flat surface, use a 2″ round cutter to cut out approximately 11-12 mini cake shapes.
- Prepare Cranberry Jam: In a small pot, gently heat cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and the cinnamon stick for about 10 minutes until the cranberries pop and soften. Remove the cinnamon stick and mash the mixture with a fork until smooth. Stir in chia seeds and allow the jam to cool, then refrigerate to set.
- Assemble Cakes: Sandwich two cake rounds together with a generous dollop of the prepared cranberry chia jam between them to create mini cake sandwiches.
- Make Chocolate Coating: Finely chop the dark vegan chocolate and place it in a small bowl. Heat rice milk until near boiling and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until smooth and glossy, then mix in maple syrup for sweetness.
- Coat and Decorate: Pour the chocolate coating gently over each mini cake, smoothing it so the chocolate drips over the edges. Decorate the tops with fresh or dried cranberries for a festive look.
Notes
- For a moister cake variation, increase maple syrup to 120 ml (1/2 cup), rice milk to 80 ml (1/3 cup), and add 120 ml (1/2 cup) cranberry puree made by blending the cooked cranberries from the jam recipe without chia seeds. Omit the chia seeds in this variation.
- The holly leaf used in photos is decorative and not edible; fresh rosemary sprigs make a lovely edible green garnish for the cakes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cake
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
