Birth Day Cake

This very special cake was originally my wedding cake. My grandmother and mother made dozens of them and stacked them in a tier for us. Now, it takes on a special new meaning as our Birth Day Cake – for moms. Whole oranges are steamed and then blended skins on and all, with pastured eggs, almond meal and coconut sugar. We frost the cake with Chocolate Reishi Gheenache – so decadent! It’s your baby’s birth day, but it’s your birthing day too. 

INGREDIENTS: 

2 small or 1 large thin-skinned orange, approx. 375g total weight

6 eggs 

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda 

200g ground almonds*

225g coconut sugar 

50g cacao powder (optional)

+ Chocolate Reishi Gheenache for frosting (optional)  

METHOD: 

Place the whole orange or oranges in a saucepan with some cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for approximately 20- 30 minutes, or until the skin is soft. Drain, and when cool, cut the oranges in half and remove any big seeds. 

Then put the oranges (peel and all) in a food processor or blender and blend on high until it reaches a smooth paste. 

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line a 20cm spring form tin. 

Add the eggs, baking powder, baking soda, almonds, sugar and cacao if using, to the orange in the blender or food processor. Run the motor until you have a cohesive cake mixture. It should still be slightly knobbly with the flecks of pureed orange. 

Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 1 hour, by which time a cake tester or skewer should come out clean. Check after 45 minutes because you may have to cover the cake with foil to prevent the top from burning before it is cooked. 

Leave the cake to cook in the tin for 5-10 minutes before removing it. Decorate with Chocolate Reishi Gheenache frosting, edible flowers and grated orange zest if you wish. Enjoy! 

* I use whole almonds and grind them to a fine powder in the Vitamix or food processor.