Veggies on the counter

I’ve left a pot of lentils cooking on the stove, while I sit on the couch with my laptop to write you about a cake I’ve baked this weekend. So, my grandmother’s birthday was on Saturday, and the cake I’ve made for us to enjoy was, in her words, the best I’ve baked so far. I was quite happy with a such a great compliment, and here I am sharing the said cake recipe with you. I tell you straight way: it has a long list of ingredients and requires the use of a couple bowls and pans, putting it under the “time consuming recipe“ label. But, on the other hand, I’d say it makes a great appearence at parties and will definitely impress your guests. As far as the taste goes, despite being quite orangy, it’s not overbearing orangy – you call actually perceive the delicate taste given by the combination of oat and rice flours in the batter, as well as the cream’s nutty scented flavor. An advise to all the sweet tooth out there: I tend to use very little sugar in baked goods in comparison to other recipes, because I’m not a fan of too sweet desserts, but, if you aren’t like me, I suggest you to increase the amount of sugar used in here by a couple tablespoons (four or five). I’ve told you before I’m not that much of a baker, and fussy and time consuming sweet baked goods aren’t really my thing. That’s mainly because the recipes I’ve tried so far tend to give priority to the final aestethical aspects rather than reflecting concerns on healthy baking. With this cake, I’ve done my best to combine both factors, working on a recipe that – I think – looks quite good, and  even though calling for the use of wholegrain and wheat-free flours, that doesn’t compromise its flavor.

Grandma’s Orange Birthday Cake

(makes one 20 cm diameter cake, 6 to 8 slices)

For the cake:

100 grams oat flour

60 grams white rice flour

60 grams brown rice flour

1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large ripe banana (about 200 grams), mashed

125 ml (½ cup) non dairy milk

200 grams soy yoghurt

125 ml (½ cup) orange juice

2 tablespoons orange zest

140 grams non-dairy margarine

120 grams muscavado sugar

For the Syrup:

200 grams orange marmalade

2 tablespoons regular sugar

80 ml (1/4 cup) orange juice

For the cream:

70 grams unsalted cashew nuts

250 grams silken tofu

60 grams icing sugar

grated dark chocolate or silvered almonds, for topping

special equipment: food processor and electric beater

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC, racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven. Butter two 20 cm (8-inch) round pans, and lightly dust them with flour.

2. Put all the ingredients for the cream in a food processor and pulse for 1 to 2 minutes or until totally smooth and similiar, in consistency, to that of heavy cream. If too thick, add one or two tablespoons of water to make the cream just a little more runny. Refrigerate it while you proceed with the recipe.

3. Mix the mashed banana with 125 ml non-dairy milk in a food processor, and blend until smooth.

4. In a large bowl, and using and electric beater, cream the vegan margarine with the sugar. Then, and still with the beater running, slowly pour the banana mixture, as well as the orange juice, soy yoghurt and orange zest.

5. In another large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

6. Combine the wet mixture with the dry mixture, just until incorporated – be careful not to overmix.

7. Divide the batter among the two pans and bake, in the pre-heated oven, for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool and, using a skewer, prick their tops with several holes.

8. In the meantime, prepare the syrup: Heat the ingredients for the syrup in a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the marmalade is runny.

9. To assemble: generously brush the top of one of the cakes with half of the syrup, and then spread about one third of  the cream over it. Plaee the other cake over the first one, and brush it with the remaining syrup, finishing off with the remaining cream. Top the cake with grated dark chocolate or silvered almonds, and serve.

I believe - even though I’m not sure - this recipe is remotely inspired by Epicurious