I really should have made this easy orange cake recipe years ago. It’s simply the best!
A Blissfully Easy Orange Cake Recipe
Now, I realize that sometimes baking a cake can seem like a big waste of time. I mean, who has time to bake a cake these days? Well, for me, baking is like “dynamic meditation”—it’s a form of therapy. Of course, nothing is worth making if the act of making it drives you to insanity or ignites frustration; and anything can be worth making if you actually get pleasure out of the whole process. The strange think about baking a cake is that of course it is all about the end product, and yet at the same time it isn’t really at all.
I actually find the mindlessness of baking to be incredibly therapeutic. The measuring and mixing is very relaxing for me. I turn on my favorite tunes (and turn off the phone!) and spend 30 minutes baking myself into a blissful state. I don’t like to talk to anyone and I don’t even like anyone in the kitchen when I bake. It sounds very unsocial, I know, but the talking can resume after the orange cake is done 😉
And if you are into clean eating the good news is this easy orange cake recipe is actually pretty darn clean! I mean no cake is going to be as healthy as drinking a veggie cocktail green smoothie. But, this one is made with 100% whole grains, has no refined sugar or oil, no dairy and even works in omega-3 rich chia seeds! There are definitely much worse desserts you could eat.
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PrintEasy Orange Cake Recipe with Orange Glaze
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup orange juice (divided)
- 1/4 cup organic coconut cream (see notes below)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin organic coconut oil (such as Barlean’s)
- 2 tablespoons grated orange rind (divided)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut palm sugar (try Nutiva Organic brand)
- 4 organic (pasture-raised eggs)
- 2 cups almond flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 cup spelt flour (I especially like One Degree Organics brand sprouted spelt flour)
- 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder (like this one from Bob’s Red Mill)
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/4 cup organic Grade A maple syrup (such as Crown)
- 1 orange (peeled and chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch round cake pan, line with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the chia seeds in 1/4 cup of orange juice and set aside to soak for 10 minutes.
- Place the coconut cream, coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of orange rind, 1 cup of coconut palm sugar and eggs in a blender and process on high speed for 1 full minute, or until mixture is smooth and creamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the almond flour, spelt flour and baking powder. Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and mix until well combined. Add in the orange-chia mixture and mix well.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the orange glaze: Place the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice, arrowroot, 1 tablespoon of orange rind, maple syrup and remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar in a small saucepan. Use a fork to whisk ingredients together and then heat over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add in the chopped oranges. Simmer for another 10 minutes, or until mixture has reduced by about half and becomes very sticky.
- Invert the cake onto a cake stand and let cool for at least 15 minutes before drizzling the orange glaze on top. Serve with coconut whipped cream.
Kimberly Hoover-Frey says
For a gluten-free version, which flour would you substitute for spelt?
Ivy Larson says
Hi Kimberly! I have been having a lot of success lately by combining oat flour with cassava flour—so in this recipe you might want to substitute 1/2 cup oat flour + 1/2 cup cassava flour for the 1 cup of spelt flour. I am almost certain that would work! Please let me know if you try it…
Sarah says
Think I can veganize this with flax eggs???
Ivy Larson says
Hi Sara, I just saw this on Facebook and answered there but will respond here too! I do think you can probably use flax eggs–I think I might just also add 1/4 cup applesauce for extra moisture too. Please let me know how it turns out if you make it 😉