Blood oranges or ‘Blut orangen’ as they’re called in German are wonderful eaten raw, juiced or added in salads or made into marmalade.
However, if you’re looking to surprise the wonderful women in your life on this international Women’s day, you could use this stunning fruit to make an easy, flavourful eggless and dairy-free cake to be enjoyed with a cup of tea.
Eating the rainbow has been one of the things I incorporate in our meals on a regular basis because of the health benefits each of these different colored fruit and vegetables provide. We’re lucky to have access to a wonderful variety of European fruit and vegetables here in Switzerland. Some of these we haven’t tried out in India growing up. These may seem a bit intimidating to some at first, as one is unsure of what to expect in terms of taste, texture or how to cook or prepare these. For me, trying out these unusual fruits and vegetables has almost always led to a surprisingly positive outcome.
However, when it came to blood oranges, for a long time, I was put off trying out this wonderful fruit, solely because of its name. Until one day I came across images of these cut open and it looked so attractive with its artistic flecks of crimson amidst deep orange. The blood oranges, a natural mutation of the regular oranges, were first cultivated in Italy. They get their distinctive dark-coloured flesh from the presence of anthocyanins. In addition, they’re packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, antioxidants, manganese, potassium and dietary fiber. Above all, they’re bright, juicy, sweet and delicious. Besides they’re in season until April, so definitely go grab yourself a bag!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 265 grams of all-purpose flour (APF), (For a healthier option, one can substitute one-third of the APF with ground almonds.)
- 265 ml of freshly pressed blood orange juice
- 100 grams of brown sugar (I used the Demerara variety)
- 85 ml of vegetable oil (use a neutral variety)
- Zest from one blood orange
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt.
For the glaze (optional but recommended)
- 100 grams powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons of freshly pressed blood orange juice
For decorating
- Blood orange slices
- A tiny pinch of blood orange zest
- Flaked almonds
Method
- Prepare a loaf or cake mould by greasing it with butter or oil.
- In a smaller bowl, mix the APF, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- In a bigger bowl, mix the blood orange juice, vinegar and baking soda and whisk until it froths.
- Now add in the sugar in the wet ingredients and whisk until mixed.
- Further, add the oil and the orange zest to the wet ingredients and mix.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake mould and bake at 170 degrees centigrade for about 30-40 minutes until a skewer poked in the center comes out clean. Mine baked for 35 minutes.
- Cool the cake to room temperature before taking it out of the cake mould. After de-moulding, let the cake cool completely.
- Now using the ingredients for the glaze, whisk them until well combined and set aside (covered with an airtight lid for about 5 minutes). Using a vegan-friendly icing sugar for the glaze makes this recipe completely vegan.
- Keeping the cake on a cooling rack with a plate underneath, pour the glaze on top of the cake and spread it uniformly over the top of the cake.
- Decorate with blood orange slices, orange zest and almond flakes and enjoy with a cup of tea.
This cake tastes great on the day when made and even better after it’s been rested for a day, so I recommend making a double batch.
Happy spring to you all!
Disclaimer: Opinions and methods expressed are solely of the writer. Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any obligation or liability which may arise from the content.
