One of the vegan Christmas cakes that can be made without using a mixer is tomato gingerbread. There are no eggs, dairy products or honey in the dough. Instead, add tomatoes, bananas and your preferred jam.
Now that’s gingerbread. As soon as it cools down, it can be eaten. No need for aging.
Ingredients for Tomato Gingerbread
- 400 grams, or about 2.5 cups of plain wheat flour
- One cup 300 g of chopped canned tomatoes
- 130 g of pulp from one large, ripe banana and 130 g of powdered sugar, i.e. almost half a cup
- Favorite jam or jam, 100 g plum jam
- 125 ml of vegetable oil, e.g. half a glass of rapeseed oil
- Four flat spoons of spiced gingerbread
- Two teaspoons (up to 20 g) of cocoa powder
- a teaspoon of baking soda and baking powder mixed
Tomato gingerbread recipe
Step 1: Connect loose pieces.
In one bowl, mixed: Four flat spoons of high-quality gingerbread spices (without flour and sugar); two tablespoons of cocoa or up to twenty grams; a teaspoon of baking soda and powder; and four hundred grams of wheat cake flour, i.e. about 2.5 cups (250 ml cups). Using, for example, a kitchen whisk, mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.
Alternatively, you can use all-purpose wheat flour. If you prefer a more delicate flavor of the cake and your spice mixture is particularly strong (like mine), reduce the amount of gingerbread spice by one tablespoon.
Step 2: Prepare wet ingredients
Fill a second bowl with 300 grams of chopped canned tomatoes. One cup of crushed tomatoes will be served here. Using a fork, peel and mash a large, ripe banana (about 130 grams of pulp). Add another 100 g of cherry, plum or your favorite, thinner jam (blueberry, currant) to the bowl. Finally, add 125 ml, i.e. almost half a glass of vegetable oil (e.g. rapeseed). Just combine all the ingredients with a spoon.
Step 3: Combine the dough and place it in the pan.
Mix the dough well until a uniform mass is obtained, adding wet ingredients to loose ingredients or vice versa. A spoon will be fine, but you can use the mixer on low speed. The dough turns out to be quite thick. Grease an 11 x 30 cm inner loaf tin (or similar tin with a minimum capacity of 1700 ml) with a little oil and then sprinkle with flour or breadcrumbs. After placing the cake in the pan, smooth the top of the cake.
Step 4: Bake the gingerbread cookies.
Set the oven temperature to 175 degrees (baking from the top or bottom). In the preheated oven, place the form with the dough on the middle shelf (preferably on the oven rack). Bake for about fifty minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. After about 45 minutes, check if the dough is ready. Gently open the oven door and use a wooden stick to pierce the center of the cake. The tomato gingerbread is ready when the stick comes out dry. Avoid over-drying the cake by not baking it for a long time just to be on the safe side. After baking, open the oven door slightly. After five minutes, you can remove the gingerbread from the oven. Once it has cooled down, remove it from the mold and place it on a cooling rack.
Although it is not necessary, after cooling, I suggest pouring a thick icing of plant milk and dark chocolate over them. To prepare it, simply boil 80 ml of your favorite plant milk in a small pot. After boiling, remove the drink from the stove and add 100-120 grams of finely chopped dark chocolate (or dark chocolate 64-70%). Using a spatula, mix all ingredients until the chocolate completely dissolves in the hot plant milk, creating a thick cream. Cover the cake with icing. The frosting will thicken as it cools. You can then top with themed sprinkles (vegan or not). In terms of calories, only the gingerbread dough itself was measured, i.e. without icing and sprinkles.
Tomato gingerbread does not require ripening. It can be served already on the day of baking. This is a cake that stays fresh for a very long time. Once they have cooled, I recommend wrapping them loosely in parchment paper and then placing them in a clear food bag or ziplock bag. Store the cake in a cool cupboard for up to two days. If it is not eaten by then, it should be transferred to the refrigerator and stored under a coat for 4-5 days.
Enjoy your meal.
