Christmas Elixir and Cranberry Cake

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This weekend I woke up with an undeniable urge to bake a cake. A red cake. A super festive holiday cake. Luckily, I had a bag of cranberries in the fridge and a bottle of a special potion I’ve been brewing for a while practically glowing on the counter! In they both went and out came a luscious, bright, moist cake with a hint of herbaceous goodness and loads of zesty flavor. (Or so I’m told by my willing taste-testers - my family.) I hope you love it too!

“Aphrodisiacs” are usually understood to be aids to igniting passion in a romantic or sexual context, but I like to think of them more broadly than that. They are, of course, useful for that specific purpose, but “passion” means so much more than just what happens in the bedroom! Passion is the fire that burns in your stomach when you are excited about an idea, it’s the warm sensation of feeling in-tune with your purpose, it’s the anger that heats up your chest, and it’s the heat felt during sexual arousal, as well. It’s no coincidence that the second chakra, Svadhisthana, is known as the creativity and sexual chakra.

In the long, dark, and sometimes stressful days of winter, we could all use a little passion. That’s why we’ll be making a Christmas Elixir with some of my favorite herbs and spices, then using it in a delicious seasonal cake! What better way to keep the holidays merry and bright? 

One of my absolute favorite herbs for igniting passion is Damiana. This small subtropical shrub’s botanical name, Turnera aphrodisiaca, points to its most common use: as an aphrodisiac! But all of the plants considered to be aphrodisiacs elicit their response in different ways. How does Damiana influence the body? First of all, it’s known for its ability to increase bodily awareness and a sense of groundedness. It reminds you of the pleasure of being in your own skin. It pulls you into the here and now, while relaxing the nervous system, easing tension, and increasing sensory awareness. If feeling disconnected or frazzled are what is keeping you from connecting deeper with your source of passion or joy, Damiana is a gentle guide back home. 

Damiana has a wonderfully peppery, spicy aroma that pairs wonderfully with winter spices and is gently warming on the system. It’s slightly stimulating while also being relaxing to the nervous system, which results in a general feeling of well-being and, often, a reconnection with love, sex, and/or inspiration. In this elixir, I have paired it with foraged rose hips to add their own kind of vitality to the brew! Rose hips are extremely high in Vitamin C and are known to be immune-boosting and revitalizing. They’re wonderfully uplifting and work in partnership with damiana to ignite your internal fire. Roses carry a deep ability for encouraging self-love and gentleness, which is an important part of trusting your passion. 

You can make this infusion in as little as 4 days or as many as 6 weeks, all depending on how strong you want it to be! I recommend sampling it every few days until it feels “just right” to you. Then, sip it on its own or add it to warm drinks or cocktails for a little extra boost anytime you want to reconnect with your passion. 

Christmas Elixir

You’ll need: 

3 c. brandy

½ c. honey (optional) 

1 ½  c. fresh rose hips (or ½  c. dried)

3 Tbs. dried damiana 

8 cardamom pods, crushed

2 cinnamon sticks 

4 allspice berries (or spicebush berries) 

Directions: 

1. If using fresh rose hips, stab each one with a fork or a skewer to aid in infusing. 

2. Add all of the ingredients to a clean glass jar. Infuse for 4 days, then sample. Keep infusing in a cool, dark place until the elixir is as strong as you’d like it to be for up to 6 weeks, giving it a good shake every day. 

3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and then filter through a coffee filter. 

4. Bottle in clean airtight containers and enjoy! 

Christmas Magic Cranberry Cake: 

Now that you have a delightful elixir to slip into warm drinks, sip on its own, or give as gifts, let’s try putting it into a tasty seasonal cake! 

A velvety cream cheese cranberry cake gets an extra boost from tangy elixir and hibiscus-infused buttercream frosting. Spread some leftover cranberry sauce between the layers for an extra mouthwatering addition. I’ve made this cake gluten-free so my partner could enjoy it, but you could substitute all-purpose flour for the white rice flour and tapioca flour and leave out the xanthan gum. 

Cream Cheese Cranberry Cake: 

Ingredients: 

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 ½ c. granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 Tbs. Christmas Elixir

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 c. white rice flour

1 c. tapioca starch

½ tsp. Xantham gum

1 ½ tsp. Baking powder

½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Freshly grated nutmeg

2 c. whole fresh cranberries

1 Tbs. flour (use rice flour if gluten-free) 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease three (6”) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. 

3. Cream together the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until the mixture is smooth. 

4. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, scraping the sides down often. 

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

6. Mix in the Elixir and vanilla. 

7. Add the dry mixture and mix until just combined. 

8. Toss the cranberries in the extra flour, then fold them into the batter. 

9. Divide the batter between the three pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

10. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then gently turn them out onto a cooling rack. Once cool, refrigerate for at least an hour to make them easier to cut and stack. (You can also put them in an airtight container and freeze for later.) 

Decoration and Assembly:

1 ½ Tbs. powdered hibiscus

¼ c. boiling water

¼ c. Christmas Elixir

1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

Pinch salt

7 c. powdered sugar

4 Tbs. sour cream 

1 ½ c. cranberry sauce (optional) 

1 c. pomegranate seeds (optional) 

Directions: 

1. Add the powdered hibiscus to a heat-safe measuring cup. Pour the boiling water over it and let steep for 20 minutes. 

2. Add the Christmas Elixir to the measuring cup and let steep for at least an hour. 

3. Cream the butter until smooth on medium speed in a stand mixer. 

4. Add the salt and 4 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth and light. 

5. Pour the hibiscus mixer into a high-speed blender and blend into a smooth puree. (The hibiscus will have softened.) 

6. Alternate the hibiscus mixture with the remaining 3 cups of powdered sugar, blending completely after each addition. 

7. At this point, the frosting should be thick and smooth. Add the sour cream as needed to get a soft, pipe-able consistency. 

Assembling the cake: 

1. Slice each cake in half to form 6 layers, total. Place one on a cake stand cut side up and pipe a circle of buttercream around the edge using a large round piping tip. Spread about ¼ c. cranberry sauce in the middle, then pipe a layer of buttercream on top. Repeat this process until the last layer of cake has been stacked. 

2. Coat the outside evenly in buttercream, then press the pomegranate seeds into it to add some additional decoration. Serve immediately. (You can also wait to add the pomegranate seeds until right before serving, or decorate the cake another way instead!) 

3. This cake keeps well in the fridge and is even more delicious the second day when the cranberry sauce has had a chance to seep into the pound cake! 

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