Dainty Rice | Toasted Spiced Cherry Cake with Wine Braised Cranberries

Preparation

Step 1

Place the dried cherries or cranberries in a small pot with the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and turn off the heat. Allow to cool and plump up.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350*F/180C

Step 3

To prepare the cake, follow the directions on the package of the Dainty Gluten-Free Cupcake Mix. Also add in the ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Strain the cooled cherries, discard any liquid, and stir the cherries into cake batter.

Step 4

Line an 8 inch square cake pan with parchment paper and pour the batter into the pan. Bake according to the instructions. When done, remove and completely cool. Around 2 hours.

Step 5

Meanwhile, place the red wine, white sugar, cinnamon stick, and frozen cranberries onto a medium sized pot. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Immedietly remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Put the wine mixture back on the heat, bring back to a simmer, reduce to medium and allow to cook and reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Pour the reduced mixture over the cranberries, stir to combine, and allow to cool until needed.

Step 6

Remove the cake from the baking pan. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into 4 rectangle slices. Place on a lined baking sheet and place in the oven to toast until slightly golden.

Step 7

Remove and place on a plate, spoon some of the braised cranberries and a dollop of the whipped cream on top.

Note from the chef

Great thing about this recipe is you can make up to the end of Step 6 a day ahead and then just finish it off and serve this gorgeous festive dessert.