Angel's cake with nuts and Christmas spices

I would consider an angel's cake festive... close to Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve.. It gives you the opportunity to bake and decorate in a way to fully represent the season climate, where snow, happiness and frosting is among the basic characteristics in main decorating ideas.

So here we are: get a special recipe, in memory of a special person, who made it first. Alexia Alexiadou. With few changes in execution, but definitely smells and tastes like Christmas...

Angel's cake with nuts and Christmas spices
(recipe by Alexia Alexiadou, short changes in execution by me)

Preparation time: 20'
Baking time: 60-65'
People to serve: 15

Ingredients:
225 gr softened butter (or margarine)
338 gr caster sugar
135 gr brown sugar (soft)
280 gr self rising flour
50 ml fresh milk
200 gr yogurt
5 large eggs
190 gr nuts fat chopped
1 1/2 tea spoon pie spice (if not you may include: 1 part of cinnamon, 1/2 part of spice, 1/4 part of cloves, 1/4 part of ginger -all of them in powder-)

Topping:
2 cups of  confectioner's sugar
2-3 table spoons of milk
Nuts for decoration


Execution:

Beat the butter in the mixer for a few seconds and then together with the two kinds of sugar in medium speed until the mixture gets fluffy. Mix in a bowl the yogurt and the milk.

Throw and mix alternately the flour and the yogurt mix (finishing with flour) and continue beating for 2' (not more than that). In the meantime preheat the oven to 180 degrees (Celsius). One by one, through and mix the eggs and continue beating for seconds.

At this stage in fact you have a thick and well incorporated mixture. Finally add the nuts and the spices and mix with a spatula until well incorporated.

For this cake I used an angel's cake silicon form.

If used a similar one you don't have to spread butter and flour internaly. If not a silicon form then before you place your dough to bake make sure that it is well buttered and floured. (you may use any cake dish you like to bake your cake, the angel's one is only a proposal).

Put in the oven and bake for at least an hour.

Your cake is ready when the entire internal part is well baked. Leave it cool in its dish. 1-2 hours later you may place it in a decorative dish of your wish.

While placed, prepare the easy topping: put sugar and milk and which vigorously until you have a bright white icing. Through all over your cake or decorate like the picture where I cut the whole cake in pieces. Finally place some nuts on top and nearby to decorate.


Tips:

• Easy recipe with festive feeling. But you can as well prepare it within the year.
• In case you don't wish to put any more sugar, you can avoid the white icing. Instead you could replace as well with an easy ganache, 100 gr of chocolate 55-57% and 100 gr creme fraiche (liquid) (boil the fresh cream and throw to the chocolate bowl, mix softly until you have a chocolate sauce. You can leave it for 30', then throw it on top of your sweet.
• This cake can be as well served (if without topping) with mascarpone cheese mixed with two tea spoons of confectioner's sugar.
• Chose a baking form to make your result spectacular. This very aromatic cake is ideal for tea and coffee meetings with friends on a cold winter day.

I hope you enjoy it. I made it lots of times and thanks to Alexia, lots of my friends and my family enjoyed it many times.

Thank you for joining me,

Waiting for your comments,

Love 

Les Delices d' Eleni