cosericantar: creative homemade food: ORANGE CARKE | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED

WIKI NOTE: The orange is unknown in the wild state; is assumed to have originated in southern China, northeastern India, and perhaps southeastern Asia, and that they were first cultivated in China around 2500 BC.

In Europe, citrus fruits (among them the bitter orange, introduced to Italy by the crusaders in the 11th century) were grown widely in the south for medicinal purposes, but the sweet orange was unknown until the late 15th century or the beginnings of the 16th century when Italian and Portuguese merchants brought orange trees into the Mediterranean area. Shortly afterward, the sweet orange quickly was adopted as an edible fruit.

By 1646, the sweet orange was well-known throughout Europe. Spanish travelers introduced the sweet orange into the American continent. Archibald Menzies, the botanist and naturalist on the Vancouver Expedition, collected orange seeds in South Africa, raised the seedlings onboard, and gave them to several Hawaiian chiefs in 1792.

ORANGE CAKE

YOU WILL NEED:
2 oranges
100g sunflower oil
1 natural yogurt (125g - small size)
3 whole eggs
250g caster sugar /*panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar
250g wheat flour (plain or all-purpose)
1 envelope/pack of baking powder (approx. 16g)
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)

LET´S BAKE!
1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Grease a baking pan with butter or sunflower oil.
2. Wash one orange. Peel it (optional). Cut it into cubes, and carefully take out the seeds. Put it into the blender measuring cup. Add sugar and eggs. Mix it well with the blender.
3. Put the mix in a big bowl. Add sunflower oil and yogurt. Mix it well with a wooden spoon.
4. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix everything slowly with a wooden spoon.
NOTE: Sift the flour for cakes. Sifting helps to remove any lumps and/or unwanted debris from the flour and also helps to combine the flour with any dry ingredients. If you don't have a strainer handy, you can also mix flour with a wire whisk or a fork.
5. Pour the mix into the baking pan. Sprinkle sugar on the top.
6. Bake for around 30 minutes, until browned. It means that the cake is well done.
NOTE: Don´t open the oven, you can always leave the cake in the oven for a few more minutes.
7. Remove the baking pan. Leave the cake cool for a while.

*VEGAN RECIPE
DRY INGREDIENTS:
1 and ½ cups wheat flour (plain or all-purpose)
1 cup panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
WET INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of orange juice
¼ cup peach jam
6 tablespoons sunflower oil (or veggie oil, any neutral flavored)
2 tsp orange zest, to taste

NOTE: Homemade measurement units

LET´S BAKE!

1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Grease a bread pan with margarine or veggie oil.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl: unrefined cane sugar/brown sugar, flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Mix them well with a wooden spoon.

3. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl: orange juice, peach jam, veggie oil, and orange zest until well mixed.

4. Pour the wet mix into the dry bowl. Mix everything slowly with a wooden spoon.

5. Pour the mix into the bread pan. Sprinkle brown sugar on the top.

6. Bake for around 40 minutes or until browned.

NOTE: Open the oven and prick the cake in the middle with a needle. You can check it many times until the needle comes out clean. It means that the cake is well done.

7. Remove the baking pan. Leave to cool.