A moist and delicious cake using only whole foods, including whole orange, and no added butter or sugar. The addition of hemp hearts and hemp seed oil means the only fats in this cake are good ones!
Winter is citrus season and I'm always looking for new ways to use the abundance of oranges we have on the farm. There are many ways to use oranges in baking, but what better way in a whole orange cake!
Cake is one of life's guilty pleasures. Luckily for you, nutritionist Libby Finlayson has come up with this healthy option, so you can eat cake every day and not feel one shred of guilt.
It's so hard to find sugar free desserts that are tasty and nutritious. But don't dismay just yet. Check out the ingredients in this cake; oranges, eggs, honey, hemp hearts, almond meal, vanilla extract, baking powder, hemp seed oil. There is honestly NOTHING bad in this cake.
If you've tried cooking with whole orange before, you'll know that there's a risk the end product might come out tasting quite bitter. The trick with this recipe is to boil the oranges for about 1 hour to take away this bitterness.
The advantage of using whole orange is that there are tons of nutrients in the peel, including fibre, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6 and calcium. The peel also contains polyphenols, which protect against several diseases and have anti-cancerous properties.
Speaking of nutrients, lets talk about hemp hearts. Hemp hearts are rich in highly digestible protein, meaning your body can absorb it easily. They are also a complete protein source, meaning they contain all the essential amino acids our body needs. Hemp hearts are also a great source of polyunsaturated and essential fatty acids, which are the healthy fats! In total they contain about 30% fat with unique 3:1 ratio of omega-6 and omega-3. This promotes cardiovascular health and may benefit some skin diseases. Hemp hearts also provide a great source of vitamin E, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc.
So get cooking, impress your friends and family, and indulge in this wonderful dessert cake.
Sugar free whole orange and hemp cake
A recipe by Libby Finlayson - www.libfinlifestyle.com.auLibby has a passion for healthy living, a balanced lifestyle and helping others. She specialises in one on one health and life coaching, group coaching, and has an interest in creating a healthy FIFO mindset. Libby also conducts workshops and helps implement healthy office habits, life skills and focus on energy, metabolic wellness and stress reduction.
INGREDIENTS
Boil the oranges whole for around 1 hour (this is worth it as it takes away a lot of the bitterness of the skin)
Once cooled, process the oranges until smooth. Add the eggs, honey or maple syrup, vanilla and oil. Mix to combine.
Whisk the baking powder through the almond meal and add the hemp seeds.
Add the dry ingredients to the orange mixture and stir to combine.
Pour into a cake loaf tin or 20cm round cake tin. Bake at 160C for around 40 min or until a skewer comes out clean.
Once cooled, top with caramelised oranges, or orange slices, fresh coconut yoghurt and a sprinkle of hemp hearts. Enjoy with a cup of herbal tea.
This whole orange cake is healthy and great for entertaining. Store in the fridge to prolong its shelf life, though it'll probably get eaten up so quickly you honestly won't need to worry about this!
