Spiced Orange Drizzle Cake (Vegan & Free-From)

Spiced Orange Drizzle Cake (Vegan & Free-From)

Are you getting all festive and seasonal now!? Not long left until many of you stuff your faces with all manner of foods only to decide a few days later it’s time to go on a diet! 😛 Why not switch your usual foods for a few healthier options so you don’t feel so guilty! 😀 This cake will do for starters, well, not for starters, for dessert! 😛

Chocolate drizzled spiced orange cake

What’s so great about this cake? Well let’s see! There’s no refined sugar so no sudden grumpiness (unless of course someone has nicked the tv remote and is making you watch the wrong channel)! There is no gluten in here, so it’s great for coeliacs and those avoiding wheat and gluten. There’s no eggs or dairy in here so great for those allergy sufferers… and vegans of course! 😛 That’s a LOT of things you expect in a cake which aren’t in here!  Oh, there’s no oranges in the cake either, just whatever little seasonal orange delights you have – be it satsumas, tangerines, clementines or mandarins… just that didn’t sit so well in the title!

Soft, spongy, spiced… sponge!

So? What IS in the cake? Well there’s fresh orange-esque pieces, bananas, fresh fruit juice, ground almonds, coconut oil, dairy free milk and a smattering of spices to make this delicious flavoursome cake!

Use as few or as many segments as you can peel!

It’s soft, spongy, easy to eat, not so easy to share and you can drizzle with your choice of a fruity syrup or a chocolate sauce… hmmm I wonder! 😛

The recipe was adapted from my banana muffin recipe which is a tried and tested favourite for cakey texture and taste… yumyum!

Who wouldn’t want a slice of this!

Let me know if you make it and share a picture on instagram using #LifeDietHealth or @LifeDietHealth

I’m taking this over to Angie at Fiesta Friday this week where I’m co-hosting with Judi at cookingwithAuntJuJu. Why don’t you come on over and join us?! There’s always so many delicious posts and plenty of great company 😀 (don’t forget to link up if you’re posting)!

• Servings: 8-12
• Time: 65-70 mins
• Difficulty: easy-medium
• Print

Gather

• 1 tablespoon linseeds
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3-5 satsumas, peeled into segments
• 140g gluten free flour
• 100g oat flour (gluten free if required)
• 50g brown rice flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 75g coconut sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 235g banana mashed
• 50ml coconut oil melted
• 180ml dairy free milk (I use unsweetened carton coconut)
• 75ml maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 50ml freshly squeezed Satsuma juice (approx. 3 small)

Prepare

1. Mix the linseeds with the water, stir and set aside
2. Grease or line your cake tin, then arrange your Satsuma segments into the tin.
3. In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients: gluten free flour, oats, rice flour, baking powder, bicarbonate, salt, mixed spice, ginger, sugar and almonds.
4. Stir the wet ingredients together: banana, oil, milk, vanilla and juice.
5. Gently add the wet ingredients to the dry and lightly combine until you have a smooth batter.
6. Pour the batter into your dish and pop in the oven. Bake at Gas Mark 4 (350f / 180c) for 45 minutes. Have a quick look to check its not browning too much, then turn the oven down to Gas mark 1 (275f /140c) for a further 15 minutes.
7. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin by placing a plate over the tin and turning the cake upside down (so the fruit is on the top).
8. Make a syrup by heating together equal amounts of Satsuma juice, coconut sugar and water, or make a chocolate syrup by dissolving equal amounts of coconut sugar in coconut oil then stirring in cacao powder.  Taste test for sweetness, then drizzle over the cake (you can poke holes in the cake and pour over) or just leave each person to choose their own favourite
9. Enjoy!

Serve & Store

1. Serve your cake naked, or serve with a choice of drizzles.
2. Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerated for up to five days.
3. Use more satsumas and completely cover the base with them.
4. Switch it up and try using pineapple chunks, apple slices or black cherries.
5. Make the same mixture and bake into muffin tins (reduce the cooking time to 20-30 minutes at Gas 4 350f / 180c).

Grab a forkful of this!