Christmas time honestly makes me so happy! Maybe its the twinkly lights or the scents of pine trees in the house or the fact that the best things don’t happen everyday and Christmas is indeed worth the wait.  Although wishing for snow seems a bit unlikely here in Hawaii, a few gloomy days and some festive baking can put me right in the Christmas mood.  I just moved into a new home in here in Hawaii and after finishing up some big projects and unpacking my kitchen I was excited to pull out my cake pans and do some Christmas baking.  I made these cakes late one night then that next morning my friend invited me over for the afternoon and she has the most dreamy backyard so we planned a little photoshoot!

My friend has the most fabulous picnic table in her back yard.  We have this saying that anything photographs well on that table and her table even has its own hashtag, (#thatbackyardtable) because in this world apparently everything needs a hashtag!  And its true, everything photographs perfectly on that table.  It was a cloudy gloomy day which is actually my favorite types of days to photograph and the slight chill in the air was perfect.

I love days when I am able to create and share my creations with friends.  I honestly don’t eat much of the desserts I make, so it brings me joy to give them out to others.  Baking these little cakes reminded me of why I do what I do and I hope that my recipes bring a bit of joy and health to your kitchen this Christmas season.  These little cakes are the perfect dessert to share with family and friends this Christmas season—just bake, drizzle, plate and give some away some homemade goodies!

Having never made gingerbread before I did some research and decided on making bundt cakes because well they are just pretty and easy to make.  I learned that gingerbread is best after a day or two and after testing this recipe several times I found that to be true! The maple caramel glaze soaks into the cakes and the flavors blend together perfectly for a light texture and rich flavor.  My husband honestly loved them and kept asking “are there any more of those cakes!?”

Introducing Chestnut Flour

Chestnut flour is quickly becoming one of my favorite grain free flours.  Chestnuts are a tree nut that are low in fat and higher in starch making them great for baking.  The flour is very fine and slightly higher in carbohydrates than almond or coconut flour, so it is something I don’t like to use everyday, but the texture is fabulous.  Chestnut flour gives a rustic, slightly sweet and spiced flavor which is absolutely perfect for gingerbread!

Don’t confuse chestnut flour or Italian chestnut flour with water chestnut flour as it is not the same thing.  I usually buy mine from nuts.com but you can also find it on Amazon here and here.

On another note, some people have a difficulty digesting molasses as it is higher in free fructose.  You can read more about the difference between sweeteners here in this great article from Mark Sisson.  If molasses is something that bothers you, you can substitute it with pure maple syrup, although it will slightly change that rich, traditional gingerbread taste.

Well, now that I have written a book about these grain free and paleo ginger bread bundt cakes I will leave you to baking and kitchens that smell of butter, cinnamon and sugar! Don’t forget to generously drizzle with the maple caramel as that is the best part.  I hope this traditional Christmas dessert made gluten and grain free brings back memories and fun to your kitchen.  Be sure to check out all my Christmas favorites with ideas for edible gifts and something for everyone 🙂 Merry Christmas!

Grain Free Gingerbread Bundt Cakes with Maple Caramel Glaze

makes 10 mini bundt cakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup chestnut flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder, aluminum free
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup molasses*
• 1/2 cup coconut milk, full fat & unsweetened
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• (coconut oil for greasing pans)

Maple Caramel Glaze

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Garnish with whipped cream or coconut whipped cream and pomegranate seeds

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease mini bundt cake pans with coconut oil.
• Sift together all dry ingredients.  Blend in the remaining ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and briefly blend again.
• Pour batter into the bundt cake pans, filling 3/4 the way full.
• Bake for 19-22 minutes or until a tester comes out clean, watching carefully as you want these cakes more on the moist side.  Allow the cakes to cool for several minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.
• While the cakes are baking, make the glaze by melting together the butter and syrup in a small sauce pan.  Turn up the heat until small bubbles begin to form and allow the syrup to simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.  Allow the glaze to cool for 10 minutes as it will thicken as it cools.
• Pour a spoonful of warm glaze over the warm bundt cakes, slowly allowing it to soak into the cakes. Repeat this process several times. (The key to making these cakes absolutely amazing is to pour the glaze on multiple times, allowing it to soak into the bundt cakes).
• Serve with whipped cream or coconut whipped cream, pomegranate seeds and enjoy!

This & That

• Gingerbread tastes better as it sets and allows the flavors and glaze to settle in—I prefer it best the next day.
• Chestnut flour can become very dense when over cooked.  Keep in mind that the cakes will continue to bake even when removed from the oven, so I recommend baking them on the shorter end of time.
• * Some people have difficulty digesting molasses and it is not a sugar I typically use, so you can substitute with maple syrup if desired, although the traditional gingerbread taste will not be as strong.
• If you don’t have a mini bundt cake pan, you could use a regular bundt cake pan or 9 inch round cake pan, although you will have to adjust the baking time.