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First, let me start off by saying I am not a vegan. I have never claimed to be, or really ever wanted to be, a vegan. I love meat. And eggs. And especially and above all else CHEESE. So, no, I am most certainly not a vegan. However, I am going to share with you today one of my favorite cake recipes of all time.
And, yes, it’s vegan.
Why, you ask, would someone who is decidedly not a vegan decide to bake a vegan cake in the first place? Well, let me tell you.
When I was in graduate school, I lived in a townhouse with about 7 other people. I enjoyed cooking and baking even then, and being the oldest person in the house I sort of took on the roll of house mother (most everyone else was an undergrad). I used to make birthday cakes for everyone’s birthday, and one of our housemates was a vegan. I searched through all of my cookbooks and finally found this Ultra Orange Cake recipe in none other than (an earlier edition) The Joy of Cooking.
He loved it, and surprisingly so did I. I now make it for a friend of mine who is allergic to all things dairy and eggs, and I make it for my son’s class when asked to bake treats. You don’t have to be a vegan to love this cake.
One of the things I love about it, besides its amazing flavor and texture, is the fact that you can mix it up in one bowl. Who needs a boxed cake mix when you can make a scratch cake in ONE BOWL? Never make a boxed cake again. Seriously – don’t. They’re awful. This is just as easy, and so much better.
Begin by juicing two large oranges. This should be enough for the 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice required for the recipe, plus a little left over for a glaze. I have used bottled orange juice in a pinch, but it really is much better with fresh squeezed.
Your other wet ingredients are 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/3 cup vegetable oil.
Dry ingredients include 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of orange zest.
Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Isn’t it pretty? Yeah….
>so beautiful, and looks so delicious. thanks for sharing!
>so yummy! I have been craving candied oranges too!! absolutely divine recipe!
>Love this! I'll have to try it… the candied orange slices look fab too!
>I have been dying for a truly orange-y cake recipe! I can't wait to try this!
>looks really yummy ,I love orange zest in baking recipes
>I adore the look of this ultra orange cake – truly delicious! I have a vegan friend who I sometimes struggle to bake for, so have saved this post! Thank you
>Yes I love orange! Surprisingly, my Trader Joe's has some fantastic oranges right now.Do you have an approximate bake time for cupcakes?
>@statgirl189: I believe they take between 15 and 18 minutes as cupcakes, but check them on the early side just to be sure. it is a very tender cake, and you don't want it to dry out – it gets crumbly.
>I am not going to lie – I am absolutely THRILLED to know that you are sharing this DELICIOUSNESS with the rest of the world, because, you KNOW I love it! Yummmm…Wait, now that you posted how to make it, does this mean I have to make it for myself????
>@lonebutterfly: no, dear, I'm going to teach your children how to make it for you:-).
>It's always useful to have some vegan recipes up your sleeve! I've never even heard of a "pie safe" before, but dammit, now I want one!