Orange cake/ Fruit cake/ Healthy cake/ No-refined sugar cake

Orange cake with Whole Wheat & no refined sugar

Hey, Everyone !! Thinking to make a Healthy Chrismas cake? And confused about where to start & how to start?

Don’t worry!! We have come up with this easy healthy Christmas fruitcake (Orange flavor) which is perfect for the holidays. This light, tender, full of nuts orange cake is a welcome addition to the holiday table.

Christmas cakes are made in many different ways, but generally, they are variations on the classic fruitcake. The term "plum cake" and "fruit cake" have become interchangeable for decades. Chrismas cake can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened, unleavened, etc. They are made in many different shapes, with frosting or glazing, a dusting of confectioner's sugar e.t.c. But simple healthy plain fruit cake with loads of nuts (Our favorite) is the one we gonna discuss here today.

If you don't have the time or patience to make a traditional Christmas cake. Check this recipe straightway & you will learn how quickly such a tasty & healthy cake can be made.

Burst with the flavor of dry fruits, soaked in brandy, the traditional Christmas cake is all about the Winter desserts. Except, People like us who live in Tamil Nadu cannot drink rum as it is already very hot. But, we can definitely have this Orange cake which is rich in Fruit flavor & loaded with nuts. We’re sure there are other recipes for the orange cake using fresh oranges, refined sugar & refined flour, but We’d bet that this just may be the best orange cake in the world you will eat & enjoy without any regret.

As soon as we got our hands on fresh In-season orange we immediately thought of making an orange-flavored cake for this Chrismas. Because oranges are both super fibrous and super tasty

Orange is a fruit which is rich in water & Vitamin-C hence powerful antioxidant often thought of the kind of fruit which one should avoid in winters. But, That’s a Myth!! Its alkalizing and detoxifying properties keep your body healthy also help hydrate the skin 

Oranges are rich in potassium &fiber helps in regulating blood pressure & prevents your digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol They have a low glycemic index. Hence, they can help maintain blood glucose levels.

We used coconut sugar in this which is a good alternative to refined sugar coconut sugar is a plant-derived sugar made from the sap of coconut tree. It's sometimes also labeled as coconut palm sugar, or as coco sap sugar. The coconut nectar sap collected from the tree's flower buds is heated to evaporation, resulting in solid brown coconut sugar granules.

We agree!! that refined sugar can not be totally avoided.
Consuming once in a while & consuming in less amount of refined sugar has no overall harmful effects on our bodies although consuming a diet rich in added sugar does.

We used whole wheat flour here for making the cake. The same flour which we use for making chapattis. This type of flour undergoes less processing than refined flour and contains more nutrients. The market brought cakes or muffins that have highly processed refined white flour & refined sugar is really not good for health. The processing method removes some or all of the nutrients from the grain. Because whole-grain products do not undergo as much processing, the entire grain remains, which preserves its healthful qualities.

Ingredients:

1 cup of whole wheat flour (250gms)

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda (normal kitchen soda will also work)

2 tbsp Semolina

½ cup of unsalted butter (100gms)

5 tbsp of coconut sugar (80gms)

1 freshly squeezed orange juice

2 eggs (use 1/2cup of fresh yogurt if vegetarian)

Handfull of nuts of your choice (chopped)

2 drops of vanilla essence

1 tsp orange gest

Recipe:

Soak all the nuts in orange juice overnight

Mix butter & sugar very well

Grease the baking tray with butter & dust with whole wheat flour

Take whole wheat flour & sieve it in a separate container

In the same flour container, sieve baking soda & baking powder

Separate egg yolk & egg white. Add egg yolk in butter-sugar mixture & mix really well with the help of whisker

When egg yolk is mixed, Add the soaked nuts along with juice in the same butter & mix all nicely

In a separate container whisk egg white very nicely till it becomes white & fluffy

(Now after its done, preheating of the oven is required. For that set your oven at Micro+convection mode at 170-degree celsius & start for 10 mins.)

In the meantime, Add the flour mixture along with semolina in butter mixture & mix

After it is mixed add the same mixture in egg white mixture. Now start with cross & fold method for 2-3 mins. Do not overdo it

Add vanilla essence & orange gest now.

Pour the batter in a baking tray, spread it evenly with the help of a spatula. After spreading tap the tray on the flat surface 2-3 times so that there is no air bubble in the mixture.

Top the cake batter with nuts of your choice.

Now put in oven & bake for 10 mins @ 170-degree celsius.

After 10 mins, insert fork carefully inside the cake, If it comes out clean. Your done, If it is not done, Bake again for 2-3 mins & check again.

(Make sure you put a fork in the center as well as at sides to test)

And TaDa!! It's ready!!

PS:

1. If you’re thinking, why orange cake doesn’t look orange in color? It’s just because we used whole wheat flour & coconut sugar for baking. Both of these ingredients have pretty dominating colors. We avoid using any artificial colors but one can definitely use natural food coloring to dye this beauty. You could also color the batter with turmeric and saffron for something even more minimalist.
2. You really need to use the best oranges you can get your hands on for this Whole Orange Cake to turn out as delicious as possible. If you can find organic, sweet, juicy oranges, you’ll have it made. Just be sure to make this orange cake before the citrus season is over
3. About Coconut sugar, It also has a low glycemic index as compared to regular table sugar. It also contains trace amounts of vitamin C and other vitamins, as well as minerals like iron, potassium, sodium, and zinc.
4. We have used just the right amount of sugar to make the cake. However, if you are a sweet tooth person. Feel free to use as much sweetness as you want.
5. For orange gest simply grate the skin of fresh orange lightly.

Try our other dessert recipes without refined sugar like coconut laddu & lauki ki kheer

Check our Indian pasta salad recipe.

Check out Indian Breakfast Recipes.

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