My Favorite Holiday Cake: A Spiced Sweet Potato, Cranberry, and Pecan Cake with Orange-Cinnamon Glaze

You may think given my adoration of Christmas cookies, that I don't make anything else for the holidays. That's not true. I make cake. No, not fruit cake. Bad, bad childhood memory. I prefer this Spiced Sweet Potato, Cranberry, and Pecan Cake with Orange-Cinnamon Glaze.

I created this recipe last Thanksgiving and have made it a couple more times since, tweaking here and there as I go. With cranberries, pecans, cloves, and orange, it smells and tastes just like Christmas.

This the final weekend to send in your Christmas cookies! Find out how here. The deadline is Sunday, December 20th at midnight PST. And don't forget to check out the stash of Christmas cookies we've gotten so far.

 

Spiced Sweet Potato, Cranberry, and Pecan Cake with Orange-Cinnamon Glaze
Serves 12-16
Print recipe only here.
This cake tastes even better the next day, so it's ideal for a Christmas brunch. 

Cake:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups cooked mashed red-skinned sweet potatoes or garnet yams
3 large eggs
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans, plus 2 tablespoons for optional garnish
1/2 cup chopped Medjool dates (or prunes)
2/3 cup frozen, unthawed cranberries, coarsely chopped
zest of 1 orange (about 1 tablespoon)

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
zest of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
several droplets of milk

1. Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter or coat with cooking spray a 9-10-inch Bundt pan.

2. In a large bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

3. In a separate bowl, add butter and sugars. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars. Add the sweet potatoes and eggs and beat. Add milk, honey, and vanilla, and beat.  Add the flour mixture in small batches, beating after each, until just incorporated. Stir in pecans, dates, cranberries, and orange zest.

4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool  at least 30 minutes before glazing. 

5. Icing: In a small bowl whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon. Add a few droplets of milk, and continue whisking until the icing is smooth and thin yet clings to the back of a spoon. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing in the grooves of the cake. Garnish with a few orange zest curls and/or chopped pecans, if desired. Allow to set for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing.

Here are more desserts you might like to have on your holiday table from Food Blogga:
Pear and Cardamom Cake
Upside-Down Clementine Cake
The Best Ever Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Italian Almond and Orange Torte with Blood Orange Compote

Here are more sweet potato desserts I'd like to try:
Sweet Potato Cake recipe at Foodaphilia
Sweet Potato Walnut Bread recipe at Culinary Types 
Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt recipe at The Food Librarian
Sweet Spud Cake with Pralines and Pecans recipe at A Southern Grace
Mini Sweet Potato Cheesecakes at recipe Cake, Batter, and Bowl

A Sugar Plums Recipe and A Field Guide to Candy Cookbook Give-Away!

Have you ever wondered why it's called "salt water taffy" when there's no salt water in it? How about how to make gummy bears or homemade marshmallow chicks (yup, I'm talking about Peeps)?

If so, then treat yourself to a copy of Anita Chu's Field Guide to Candy from Quirk Books. While you're at it, you might want to treat a foodie friend to a copy as well because it's a great Christmas gift. (In full disclosure, I am writing two books for Quirk Books. They have donated this book for the give-away, but I am not being remunerated for this post.)

This little book is packed full with over 100 candy recipes that are divided into playful categories, such as "cream, sticky, chewy," "nutty," and "fun and simple classics." Anita includes just about every type of candy imaginable from American classics, such as Peppermint Patties, Caramel Corn, and Gumdrops to international confections, such as Chinese Date-Walnut Candy, Sesame Halva, and French Pralines. Each recipe is preceded by a brief history that offers both informative facts and quirky food history tidbits.

Just reading through the book will likely give you a much greater appreciation for candy-making, which can be quite challenging. To help you out, each recipe comes with handy icons reminding you to, say, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or to use a food processor. Anita's instructions are clear and detailed, though some recipes require candy-making skills and/or lots of patience (which I sorely lack). Fortunately, there are plenty of beginner-level candy recipes for those of us who aren't yet ready to tackle marzipan fruit. There are also attractive color photos of all of the candies as well as a thorough introduction to candy making, including essential kitchen tools and notes on working with chocolate and sugar.



You can roll sugar plums in either shredded coconut or confectioners' sugar.

Since it's Christmas time, I chose to make Anita's Sugar Plums recipe. Anita writes, "When visions of sugarplums dance in children's heads, it would be interesting to know exactly what sugarplums they dream of." She explains that historically "sugarplums," referred to a wide variety of candies, but more recently have come to refer to "soft, sticky balls of dried fruits and nuts, often rolled in shredded coconut or confectioners' sugar. They do not necessarily contain plums."

According to Anita, "Sugarplums were immortalized in Clement Clarke Moore's poem "A Visit from St. Nicolas" and "Tchaikovsky's Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker." Hence our association of sugarplums with Christmas. That's why I'm adding my sugarplums to the stash of Christmas cookies we've got here.

Want to share in our big, festive Eat Christmas Cookies event? Find out how here. The deadline is Sunday, December 20th at midnight PST.

Now for the give-away! To enter for a chance to win a copy of Field Guide to Candy, just tell me why you'd like to win the book. The deadline is Saturday, December 19th. The winner must provide his or her full name and mailing address. As an extra bonus, if you have submitted a cookie to the Eat Christmas Cookies event, or do so by the 19th, you will double your chances of winning the book. Good luck!

And don't forget to enter for a chance to win a nifty foodie art reusable tote bag by California artist, Nicole Docimo. Deadline is Thursday, December 17th. 

Update: December 21st: Congratulations to Rocquie of Sage Trifle who won Nicole's tote bag and Annalise of Palate Pioneer who won the Field Guide to Candy!

Sugarplums 
(Recipe from Field Guide to Candy by Anita Chu; Quirk Books, 2009.)
Makes about 30
Print recipe only here.

2 cups almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup pitted dates
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
Unsweetened flaked coconut for rolling

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

2. Combine almonds, apricots, dates, cinnamon, and zest in a food processor and process into a finely ground mixture.

3. Add orange juice and honey, and combine until the mixture becomes a sticky ball.

4. Pinch off pieces of the mixture and form into 1-inch balls. Roll in coconut. Place on the baking sheet for about 1 hour until firm.

Notes: You can substitute the fruits and nuts in this recipe. Dried cherries, figs, or raisins work well, as would hazelnuts, pistachios, or pecans. Try adding chopped candied ginger or candied citrus peel.

You might also like these easy-peasy Christmas candies and cookies from Food Blogga:
Mom's Peanut Butter Fudge
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Hello Dolly Cookie Bars

Anita Chu writes the delicious blog, Dessert First, and is also the author of the successful Field Guide to Cookies.

Give-Away for Foodie Art Reusable Tote Bag

I'm happy to introduce you to Nicole Docimo, an artist and blogger living in Davis, California. On her blog, Blue Bicicletta: Art and Illustration, Nicole writes engagingly about the joys and hardships of being a full-time artist. Nicole's art work is simple and whimsical, and often encourages the viewer to celebrate life's small pleasures, like stopping to smell the roses.

I have gotten to know Nicole through email exchanges and think she's not only a talented artist but also a lovely person. Indeed, Nicole has generously offered one lucky Food Blogga reader one of her eco-friendly reusable tote bags with the motto: Eat Well and Slowly (pictured below).
 

1. Your art work is simple yet playful and appealing. How did you develop your style? 

My style developed by a series of happy accidents and a weaving together of various interests. A few years ago, when I was getting back into visual art after a long sabbatical, I was really trying anything---collage, painting, block printing. Then one day, my then boyfriend, now husband, noticed that I was always doodling with just a pen on paper, and he said, "Why don't you do that type of drawing more seriously?" At that moment the light bulb went on, and so I started taking my black pen to larger pieces of paper.

At first, I was doing more abstract, pattern-based drawings, but I had also been making large paintings of words that came from my love of poetry and my interest in making poetry more visual. At about the same time, I was taking some graphic design courses and getting excited about typography and design, and then I signed up for an art show/project called "The Sketchbook Project" through the Art House (http://www.arthousecoop.com/) in Atlanta, GA, where 500 artists were each sent a small sketchbook to illustrate under the theme "How to Save the World." That project really launched me into my current style, as I tried to bring simple drawings and messages together to illustrate several ways to "Save the world one person at a time," including things like "Eat Well & Slowly," "Ride Bikes," and "Value Your Time More than Your Money." These drawings have become some of my most popular, and really were the gateway to what is now Blue Bicicletta.

2. An artist's life can be challenging in many ways. How do you stay motivated during slumps?

I think the most challenging thing about being an artist is mental. It's a challenge to push through all of the ideas that are tossed around in society as a whole (and that live in my own mind) about how difficult it is to make a living as an artist. One of the most important things I've learned is that I can do the work, no matter how I feel. I think a lot of people think that artists are always dancing around and feeling inspired, but I don't think that's true in most cases. I think that in order to have a creative career, or just a life in some creative art, you just need to keep showing up, no matter how you feel. Once I realized that I could do my work even when I was not feeling inspired, or at least I could show up and try, that took some of the pressure off, and it became more about just making time for the work and continuing.  I also think that the more art you make, the more ideas you have---so it follows that the more you "show up" the easier it gets to show up.

3. What are some of your goals for the next year?

My main business goal for the next year is to keep trying to figure out what combination of things will create and maintain a full-time income for me as an artist. My main personal goals are to continue to learn how to appreciate every day, and be patient with myself.

4. What tips can you offer to bloggers to stay fresh and be creative?

Blog about what you really love and are passionate about. I know people always say this, but I think this is true across the board in life: if you do the things you really love, that really excite you, there's no way to lose: people will see and feel that excitement and get excited too, you will more easily be able to maintain your energy because you love what you're working on, and in general, you will get to feel all of the good feelings that come along with doing something you're passionate about. Passion is never boring for the maker or the viewer.

5. How did you come up with the name of your blog, and when did you launch it?

When I was trying to think of a name for my blog, I knew I wanted a name that conveyed a sense of me. I live in Davis, California, a town that is known for its huge percentage of bike riders, and I love to ride my bike. I am also half Italian, so the word "bicicicletta" (the Italian word for bicycle) seemed like a good fit. Also, I love the color blue, and the word "Blue" had a nice sound with "Bicicletta." So, all of these things just fit together into a creative, playful, fun name. I also like to say that making art feels like riding my bike fast, down hills. So, there you go. I launched my blog in the Fall of 2007 as a way to explore art and share my art with other people, and I haven't looked back. I love blogging---it's such a fun way to share my art and creative process.

To see more of Nicole's work and/or make a purchase visit her Etsy site. She has over 150 items for sale, many that are perfect for the foodies on your Christmas list. 

Now for the give-away! To enter for a chance to win this nifty reusable tote-bag, simply leave a comment or question below pertaining to Nicole's art work by the end of the day, Thursday, December 17th. The winner must provide his or her full name and mailing address. As an extra bonus, if you have submitted a cookie to our Eat Christmas Cookies event, or do so by the 17th, you will double your chances of winning the tote bag. Good luck!

Want to share in our big, festive Eat Christmas Cookies event? Find out how here.  (Several Santa prizes will be given out throughout the event.) And check out the stash of Christmas cookies we've gotten so far.

Congratulations to last week's winners!

Manju of Three Tastes, has won a copy of the cookbook, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.
Alta of Tasty Eats at Home has won the Fresh and Easy holiday wine and chocolates. Please email me your name and address so you can receive your prizes.

An Easy Chocolate Ginger Truffles Recipe You'll Love

Chances are good that over the next couple of weeks, you'll be attending a few holiday parties. You'll be needing hostess gifts. Flowers, wine, and fudge are all fine, but truffles are better. Truffles are elegant and stylish. Better for you, truffles are easy to make, really easy.

Here's a recipe for Easy Ginger Chocolate Truffles that I love and know you will too. Rich chocolate is enhanced with spicy, fragrant candied ginger for a uniquely intense flavor. Placed inside of decorative foil cups, these easy ginger chocolate truffles make a festive holiday gift.

These truffles are also going into the big Eat Christmas Cookies cookie jar. Want to share your cookies with us? Just send them over by December 20th. Find out how here. And check out the amazing stash of Christmas cookies we've gotten so far.

I also just discovered that Nic of the delicious Cherrapeno is hosting this month's SHF, the Holiday Edition.  So I'm sending some truffles her way.

Easy Chocolate Ginger Truffles
Makes about 2 dozen truffles
Print recipe only here.  

2 cups high quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup candied ginger, finely diced (wet your knife first for easier dicing)
unsweetened cocoa for rolling

1. Put chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring heavy cream just to a boil. Pour over the chocolate, and stir with a small spatula until smooth. Stir in the ginger. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1-1 1/2 hours. Check it. The chocolate should be thick yet still pliable.

3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a teaspoon or a melon-baller, scoop balls of chocolate and drop them on the prepared sheet. (Don't worry about shaping them. That comes later.) Place the pan of truffles in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

4. Place cocoa in a small, deep bowl. Dust both palms with cocoa. Roll each truffle into a ball. Drop in the cocoa until coated. Shake off excess cocoa. Place in decorative paper or foil cups, if using. Store truffles in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You may need to reshape or redust with cocoa before serving. Serve at room temperature.

Here are more edible holiday gifts from Food Blogga you might enjoy:
Traditional Italian Almond Biscotti
How to Make Italian Pizzelle Cookies in 5 Easy Steps
Mom's Peanut Butter Fudge
Orange, Date, and Pecan Bread

Here are more delicious truffles to try:
Cookie Dough Truffles recipe from Big Red Kitchen
Mocha Truffles recipe from Use Real Butter
White Chocolate Truffles from Serious Eats
Boozy Bitter Chocolate Truffles recipe from Chez Pim
Gluten-Free and Vegan Chocolate Orange Truffles recipe from Elana's Pantry

A Recipe for Vegan Chewy Date, Orange, and Oatmeal Cookies Plus a Give-Away for the Cookbook, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

Thanks to dedicated bloggers, bakers, and chefs, vegan baking is no longer shrouded in mystery. With vegan blogs, cookbooks, and restaurants, anybody can try out vegan food, including vegan cookies. Many cookie recipes are surprisingly easy to veganize. Usually it's a matter of swapping non-dairy milk for cow's milk and substituting ingredients such as soy yogurt, flaxseed, or egg replacements for eggs.

After seeing so many wonderful vegan cookies in Seasons One and Two of Eat Christmas Cookies, I was inspired to make some myself. I adapted a recipe called Spiced Oats and Date Cookies from Sunita of the beautiful blog, Sunita's World. Sunita's original recipe called for whole milk, but I substituted vanilla soy milk, added some orange juice and zest, and called them Vegan Chewy Orange, Date, and Oatmeal Cookies. These vegan cookies are packed with healthy ingredients, such as dates, oats, whole wheat flour, and flax seed, yet they're satisfyingly sweet and chewy. Vegans and non-vegans alike will love them.



Now, it's time for the give-away! I told you Santa would be giving away prizes during our Eat Christmas Cookies Event, and the next one is a copy of Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.

This delightful little book is chock-full of over 100 mouth-watering vegan cookie recipes, including Caramel Pecan Bars, Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Brownies, and Macadamia Lace Cookies. In addition to delicious recipes, the authors provide tips and tricks for successful vegan baking. So if you've got a vegan on your Christmas list, this is the perfect gift.

One winner will be randomly selected from the ongoing Christmas Cookie round-up on Monday, December 14th. So send in your cookie for a chance to win.

Don't forget to enter for the Fresh & Easy give-away too. One lucky Food Blogga reader will receive a gift from Fresh & Easy containing a bottle of wine in a reusable tote bag, a box of chocolates, and coupons for future purchases. For details, please see this Fresh & Easy post. Good luck!

Want to share in our big, festive Eat Christmas Cookies event? Find out how here.  (Several Santa prizes will be given out throughout the event.) And check out the stash of Christmas cookies we've gotten so far.

Vegan Chewy Orange, Date, and Oatmeal Cookies
Makes about 18 cookies.
Print recipe only here.

I made the cookies vegan by substituting vanilla soy milk for whole milk, but either works. I made my cookies with soft, fresh Medjool dates, which are currently in season, but you can substitute dried dates. However, if they're really hard, I'd suggest soaking them in some warm orange juice or water for 20-30 minutes prior to baking. The texture of these cookies is similar to a biscuit with a crusty exterior yet soft, chewy interior.


15 fresh dates, preferably Medjool, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons whole milk (soy milk works too)
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
zest of 1/2 medium orange (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons flax seeds
crystallized sugar for coating cookies

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place dates,milk, oil, orange juice, and orange zest in a processor or blender. Process until dates are broken down into tiny pieces.

3. In a large bowl, stir oats, wheat flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and flax seeds. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour the date mixture into the well, and using your fingertips, lightly combine until a ball forms. Cover with Saran Wrap, and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

4. In a small bowl, add about 3-4 tablespoons crystallized sugar. You may need more.

5. Using a cookie scoop or spoons, form cookies into approximately 1-inch balls. Drop in the sugar and roll until coated. Place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned on the outside, but still soft to the touch. Transfer to a cookie rack. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

You might also enjoy these cookies recipes from Food Blogga:
Mom's Filled CookiesComforting Banana, Oatmeal, and Raisin Cookies
Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies with Poppy Seed Glaze
Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cranberries, Raisins, and Pecans

More date cookie recipes you might enjoy:
Banana Date Breakfast Cookies at Gluten Free Gobsmacked
Mubarak and Date Bar Cookies at Food4Thought
Oatmeal Date Cookies at Carrots n Cake
Date Rock Cookies at Melting Your Mouth