Healthy Whole Orange Cake with Honey
There is a childhood memory that will never be forgotten…. It’s the smell of the freshly baked cake that filled every corner of our house.
Even when we couldn’t reach the kitchen counter, our mother’s sweet hand was always there to help us. Years passed and the cake recipes got passed to the next generation. Among all recipes, this one about healthy whole orange cake was our favorite.
When mother would make this cake she would go out to the back garden and cut two juicy oranges straight from the orange tree. These were so fresh and smelled so good that you knew the final result would be nothing short of perfection.
We boil the oranges in order to get rid off their bitterness.. But we’ve made a tiny modern twist… We chose to use ground almond instead of regular flour. (Yes! Almond is much tastier! Sorry mom…). Eggs and honey complete the “holy quartet” of basic ingredients.
Mother would get the eggs from our neighbor who had chickens in her backyard. These were so fresh and when she broke them in the bowl their yolks looked like fiery burning suns shining on our innocence! My uncle who had his own bees brought honey to us. The highest of quality, unquestionably! Personal experiences, childhood memories… We offer you with love what was worthily cherished by time…
DIRECTIONS:
Total Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Yield: 1 standard 9” round baking pan
Ingredients:
2 unwaxed oranges, rinsed well
5 medium eggs
2/3 c. high quality honey (organic is best)
9 ounces white almond, finely ground
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
In a medium pot cover the oranges with water, bring to the boil and then simmer them for about an hour, until they become soft. Remove the oranges from the water and drain. Keep them aside on a plate until completely cooled. Quarter the oranges remove any seeds. Cut into small pieces and puree in blender. Set aside.
Mix together ground almond, the baking powder and salt and set aside.
In a separate bowl, blend the eggs, honey and vanilla and blend with an electric mixer until smooth. Add orange puree and beat until well combined.
Using a spatula, gently add in the almond mixture. Do not over mix!
Rinse a piece of baking parchment with some cold water. Remove excess water and place it in a 9” round baking. Pour in the cake batter.
Bake for one hour in a preheated 350F* or until a knife comes out clean in the center of the cake.
Leave the cake to cook in the pan for 30 minutes and then place on a rack. Cut when it is room temperature and serve with coffee or tea, and enjoy!
*The use of honey replacing sugar in this recipe is a point of reference.We lower baking temperature; otherwise the cake will quickly brown on its surface, but will not be cooked inside.
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