A Blood Orange Cake
One of the best things about going to the market is making a delicious new discovery—a fruit or vegetable that wasn’t there before. Perhaps it’s the shifting seasons bringing new produce into the spotlight, or maybe a new farmer has set up a stall, offering something unique. With the weather shaping up, strolling through the market is even more of a pleasure, especially when you stumble upon one of these treasures.
Take yesterday, for example, when a basket of Italian blood oranges caught my attention. Their deep crimson flesh, streaked with hints of ruby and gold, stood out among the other citrus. These sweet fruits have a mild tartness with subtle notes of raspberry that makes them totally irresistible. Blood oranges are prized for their complexity and often used in everything from salads and cocktails to desserts. I bought them simply as a snack, because there’s nothing I love more than fresh fruit and a cup of tea after my afternoon walk. But when I suddenly realized I had nothing planned for dessert, I knew they would be the perfect ingredient.
My first thought was panna cotta with blood orange, but that wouldn’t work. Panna cotta’s silky, delicate texture needs hours to set properly, and it was already 6PM. A simple salad of sliced oranges with a scattering of chopped pistachios would have been an easy option.
And then my mind turned to cake. I wanted something rustic and satisfying, with a bit of polenta for extra texture. Less than an hour later, I had made a gorgeous whole-food, plant-based blood orange cake—perfect for dessert, tea, or even breakfast. No refined sugar, no added fats. Just pure, vibrant flavor. It was too good not to share.
Blood Orange Cake
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
2 small blood oranges, zested, peeled, and 1 ½ sliced
1 ripe banana, mashed
120g unsweetened applesauce
60ml soy milk
30ml blood orange juice
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsps water)
180g oat flour
50g polenta cornmeal
11g (1 sachet) baking powder
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the bottom of an 18-inch springform tin with parchment paper. Grease the sides well. Line the bottom of the tin with slices of orange, slightly overlapping. In a small bowl, whisk the banana, applesauce, soy milk, blood orange juice, zest, and flax egg. In a large bowl, whisk the oat flour, polenta cornmeal, and baking powder. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold in until fully incorporated. Pour the batter over the orange slices and bake the cake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in its tin (placed on a wire rack). Unmold and transfer to a serving platter.
