The Diabetes Dish: Christmas Cranberry Nut Tea Cake
Christmas can be a painful time for those of us with diabetes. Because if there’s one constant theme apparent throughout the holiday season, it’s eating. Whether it’s at a family dinner or a holiday work party, Christmas time can be a tricky event to navigate for many of us.
While it may not be possible to request diabetes-friendly food at all the events we go to, it’s usually not too difficult to find entree options that are compatible with our diets (meats, vegetables, etc.). The one area that does get significantly more difficult, though, is dessert time. Few other holidays inspire such a focus on cakes, pies, candies, and other types of sweets, and that can create a lot of temptation for the T1D community.
Luckily, desserts are one of those items that guests are usually asked to bring at a friends and family gathering, so this year pick something that’s diabetes-friendly and delicious, and you can indulge your sweet tooth without feeling guilty.
This cranberry nut tea cake from Diabetic Gourmet is a perfect example. It’s healthier than many of its holiday counterparts, and with stuffings of cranberries and walnuts, it a perfect Christmas-inspired treat.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup of flour (all purpose)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup and 2 Tbsp corn oil (or canola oil)
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon zest (grated)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (or 190 degrees C). Spray non-stick spray onto an 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until well blended. Add in oil, orange juice, and egg. Continue to stir until well mixed. Once the mixture is blended, fold in walnuts, cranberries, and the lemon zest.
Pour the entire mixture into the 8-inch baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean). Let cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar lightly on top of the cake.
Before serving, cut into 2 1/2 inch square slices.
Nutritional Information
Serves: 9
Calories per serving: 300
Carbs per serving: 35 grams
Protein per serving: 4 grams
Fat per serving: 16 grams