Create - 8 Jul 2019

Recipe: Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

Orange and Poppy Seed Cake
recipe: @jessicaworthnutrition

Grab the girls it is picnic time! Did you know there is actual research on the health benefits of spending time with your friends? Yep, true story. As women we are emotional, we crave someone to share our thoughts and feelings with. Think about the last time you caught up with your ladies; whether it be an afternoon at the beach, a morning surf, acai bowls by the pool. How good did it feel? Amazing right?

So get on the phone and organise your next catch up and tell your friends you’ve got the afternoon treat covered. When most people think picnic, they probably think cheese platter, maybe some fruit (and wine!). But I’m going to throw this Orange and Poppy Seed Cake in the mix. It’s light, tangy and delicious. I tried a few gluten free flours for this recipe and nothing worked like good ol’ plain flour. Which means it is not gluten free.

Now if you’re coeliac this cake is just a no-go-zone for you. But for the rest of us, we can all consume a little gluten (we all have a level of tolerability). The plain flour I used is purchased from a quality bulk food store and is unbleached (meaning it is not as white as the supermarket kind) and made from whole wheat (ohhh hey fibre). I also added a little almond meal to support healthy blood sugar regulation. And in case you missed it, oranges are amazing at the moment and in season. So get on it!

Orange and Poppy Seed Cake (serves 12)

Ingredients

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 oranges
½ cup maple syrup
3 eggs
½ cup almond flour
2 cup unbleached plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup poppy seeds
¾ cup milk

Icing Ingredients

1 cup icing sugar
juice of half an orange

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Place the oil, finely grated orange rind and maple syrup in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until it makes a caramel look.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter mixture. Add the almond flour, poppy seeds, vanilla extract, milk and juice from the oranges. Mix until just combined.