Easy Citrus cake

I say citrus because I think you could use whatever you want. This is a quarantine recipe, so I used what I had, which was clementine. In a pinch you could use bottled orange juice, but I would probably cut down on the sugar in the rest of the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 250 g (2 C) all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 200 g (1 C ) white sugar (vegan)

• 2 T. brown sugar (vegan)

• 1/2 C neutral oil (you can use coconut oil if you don’t mind coconut flavor)

• 1 C plant milk ( I like oat, can sub coconut-see above)

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)

• 1/2 C orange juice (freshly squeezed- I used clementines)

{ Glaze }

• 3/4 - 1 C. confectioner/powder sugar (sifted)

• 1 tsp. zest (optional)

• 3 T. freshly squeezed juice

• 1 tsp. orange or vanilla extract

• 1 tsp. of fresh lime juice if you happen to have on hand (brightens the flavor)

• pinch salt

  
  
  
  

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°

{ Prep }

• Zest citrus to yield 1-2 teaspoons.

• Juice citrus.

• Sift powder sugar.

• Cut a piece of parchment paper to line bottom of a 9” loaf pan.

• Spray (or oil) pan and (lightly) flour . Shake out any excess flour in the sink.

  
  

1. In a medium-size bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and soda.

2. Cream sugars, oil, and extracts together in a large bowl with an electric or stand mixer on medium-high, until well mixed and smooth (about 5 minutes).

3. Add juice and milk, then continue to mix on low for 1 minute.

4. Use a rubber spatula or a whisk to make sure the mixture has come together.

5. Add the wet mixture to dry in thirds and mix with a rubber spatula until the batter is fully combined. But please, do not over-mix, or you will activate the gluten in the flour and your cake will be tough and chewy.

6. Let rest for 15 minutes. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and lightly tap to remove any air bubbles. Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 45- 55 minutes or until a toothpick or fork tines come out clean.

When the cake is done, let it cool in the baking pan for 15-20 minutes.  Then, remove from pan and finish cooling for 20-30 minutes.  

***For me, the easiest way to remove a cake from a pan is to use parchment paper. Cut it to the length of the pan and let the extra paper overhang on the 9” sides- see my banana bread recipe here for a visual. Conversely, if you are short on parchment paper, cut a small piece to fit the bottom of the pan. Once the cake is out of the oven, run a butter knife along the edges and let cool a bit. Set a plate on top of the pan and then quickly flip it over onto the plate. I use another plate on top and flip over again so it is right-side up.  If you have done a good job prepping your pan and let it cool enough, it should come out clean and easy, with no effort.***

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze.  Add the juice, powdered sugar, and extract to a bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves and a glaze has formed.  Add in the zest and whisk the mixture.  If you like a thicker, creamier glaze, use less liquid or add more sugar.  If you like a lighter glaze and really citrus-y, cut back on the sugar or add more liquid.

When the cake has cooled, pour as much or little of the glaze over the cake and let it run down all the sides- make sure you have a pan underneath the cooling rack to catch the excess glaze.  After setting a bit, the glaze will harden and your cake is ready to serve.

I hope you give this recipe a try. If you do, let me know what citrus you used and how it turned out!

| Thanks, Debbie |