Looking for a dessert recipe for the holidays? Don't look any further! This healthy-ish holiday spice cake is full of warm spices and lots of flavor. What do I mean by healthy-ish? Desserts in general usually contain added sugars and fats, so I tend to go for ones with SOME healthy ingredients, whether it be fruit, pumpkin, nuts, or spices.
Healthy Ingredients in THIS recipe
OAT MILK - is a plant based milk that provides 20% of your daily calcium needs.
PECANS - are an excellent source of fiber, protein, and heart healthy nutrients.
CINNAMON - has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It can also help regulate your blood sugars and decrease your risk of cancer.
NUTMEG - has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, as well. It can also help to improve depression and labido.
GINGER - is great for digestion and can also help control both nausea and motion sickness.
How you make Holiday Spice Cake
First, you will make the pecan crust. You will do this by adding pecans, butter, sugar, and salt into a food processor and pulsing until it is a crumbly mixture with uniform sized pieces. Press the mixture into a springform pan and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then you will bake it for 10 minutes to bring out that nutty flavor!
Next you will prepare the cake batter.
Pour the cake batter on top of your baked crust. Arrange the remaining pecan pieces on top.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Isn't it so pretty?
As far as garnishing the cake, you could sift powdered sugar over the entire cake. I enjoy my cake with a dollop of whipped cream and some cinnamon sprinkled on top. My Holiday Spice Cake is also great served at breakfast with your favorite coffee or tea.
Yum! I hope you enjoy this cake, as much as I do. Please leave a review below and let me know what you think.
Other recipes you may enjoy-
Holiday Spice Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups pecans
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar granulated
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
- 1 egg
- 1 cup oat milk
Instructions
For the Crust
- Place 2 cups of the pecans, ¼ cup melted butter, I tablespoon granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts become small, uniform pieces.
- Press mixture into a 9" springform pan and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
For the Cake
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ¾ teaspoon of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat ¼ cup of softened butter together with the brown sugar. Add the egg and beat well. Gradually add ½ of the flour mixture, half of the milk, remaining flour mixture, and the remaining milk. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add the batter to the top of the baked pecan crust.
- Arrange the remaining pecans on top of the batter.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Serve warm or cool. Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon, if desired.
Notes
- If you do not have a food processor, you can chop the pecans by hand into small pieces.
- You can substitute any type of milk for the oat milk.
- For the topping, you can divide the pecans in half lengthwise or add chopped pecans.
- You could also garnish the cake by sifting powdered sugar on top.
Everything about this cake is amazing! I especially loved the pecan crust. I served this cake with whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon. So delicious!
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 😊
This looks amazing! I can't wait to try it. We have a couple of holiday gatherings and this would be perfect.