Whole Orange Cake

This cake has gone viral lately because it uses the whole orange; most recipes use only juice, zest, or both and usually discard the white part. Because you are using the whole orange, it gives a more orangey flavor; it adds structure to the cake and a slight bitterness that you can barely taste, but it definitely adds another depth of flavor. A Sicilian orange cake is very similar, but this is a different recipe. Still, it is a pretty easy and flavorful cake with a short list of simple ingredients. Here are some tips to keep in mind that may help ensure success in your try.

• Use ripe, seedless, sweet orange with thin skin. If it’s a big orange, use one; if it’s medium or small, I use one and a half.
• Use the spoon and level method if you’re using cup measurement.
• Use a portable oven thermometer to ensure your oven has an accurate temperature. I use it every single time.
• I used grape seed oil on the one in the picture, but I’ve used others like olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Use any oil that you prefer. You can substitute it with butter; this recipe uses 7 tablespoons of melted butter (105 ml) instead of oil.
• Check the doneness of your cake 10 minutes before the recipe says to avoid overbaking it (since all ovens are different).

Ingredients:

1 seedless, sweet orange with skin (or remove seeds if any)

3 large eggs at room temperature

⅓ cup oil (80 ml)

1/2 tsp vanilla

½ cup granulated sugar (100 gr); add ¼cup (50 gr) more if you like it sweeter.

2 cups self-raising flour * (250 gr)

Method:

• Add all the wet ingredients into a blender, blend into a smooth mixture, and pour it into a bowl.

• Add flour into the mixture and mix everything evenly. You can use a spatula or a hand whisk. Do not over-mix to avoid dense cake.
• * If you’re making self-rising flour, mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and use that flour mixture evenly combined instead.

• Pour the batter into a 5×9 inch (13×23 cm) loaf pan, previously greased and floured. Bake in a preheated oven on the ⅔ lower rack, using upper and lower heat, at 340ºF (170ºC) for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing.
• At this stage, you can add (it is not necessary) orange syrup to make it extra moist. In a small saucepan, dissolve 1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of orange juice; bring to a simmer for 3 minutes and let cool. Drizzle evenly over the loaf or when you serve a slice.
• Enjoy!

You can freeze the cake once it is completely cooled, wrap it airtight, and store it.