Cranberry and sweet potato nut roast cake
Prep time: 1 hrTotal time: 
Cranberry and sweet potato nut roast cake
Clear a little space in the freezer for this plant-based, make-ahead main, ready to pull out for guests on the big day
Prep time: 1 hrTotal time: 
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Ingredients
- 450g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp milled flaxseed
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to grease
- 3 echalion shallots, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150g fresh white breadcrumbs*
- 180g cashews, finely ground
- 125g pecans, chopped
- ½ x 20g pack fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
- zest and juice of ½ orange
- 125ml cooled vegetable stock (made with ½ stock cube)*
- ½ tsp fine salt
- vegetarian gravy*, to serve (optional)
For the topping
- 350g fresh or frozen cranberries
- 70g light brown soft sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
Step by step
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For the topping, cook the cranberries and sugar in a pan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted and the cranberries have softened. Combine the cornflour and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Stir into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Transfer to a bowl, allow to cool, then chill in the fridge until needed.
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Cook the sweet potatoes in a pan of salted boiling water for 13-15 minutes, until tender. Drain, then return to the pan and leave to steam-dry, before mashing. Set aside to cool.
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Meanwhile, combine the flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of cold water and set aside to thicken. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
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Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots with a pinch of salt over a low heat for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Cool, then tip into a bowl with the breadcrumbs, cashews, flaxseed mix, sweet potatoes, pecans, rosemary, orange zest and juice, and stock. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Mix until well combined. Spoon the cranberry mix into the cake tin, then top with the sweet potato mix, pressing down firmly and smoothing the top. Cover with foil and chill for at least 1 hour (or freeze).
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Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5. Bake the nut roast for 1 hour, then uncover and cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes.
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Invert the nut roast onto a flat serving plate, discard the baking paper and serve with vegetarian gravy, if you like.
*Use gluten-free breadcrumbs, stock and gravy, if required.
