Orange cake with Peach and Blueberry
A healthy, moist and flavorful cake made with fresh fruits!
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there! Every Father’s Day, Vihaan and I try to do something special for my husband, Suraj. To be honest, I'm surprised to see what an amazing dad he has become. We started dating while in college and I had always wondered what kind of a father he would become, considering his frivolous attitude (there are times when I still wonder if he ever grew up). From dating to marriage to these wonderful parenting days, he always surprised me with how well he handled each role. He never saw any tasks as a 'mom-duty' but instead, always worked with me as a team in this journey.
This Father’s Day, I decided to bake something for Suraj. Vihaan was kind enough to let me have the fruits that’d usually go into his smoothie. This cake is perfect for the diet conscious dads (and moms) who prefer healthy versions of everything, even desserts. Suraj considers himself a foodie and loves to explore food, but he is very conscious about his health and diet. Before showing him the cake, I had to first explain to him that this is a healthy recipe, before he rolled his eyes to see a cake being offered to him as a Father’s Day special.
I also want to mention my loving Dad, who is not with me anymore. I miss not being able to spoil him, but wherever you are, Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
Let’s talk more about the cake.
This one bursts with fruity flavors and is equally healthy. Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C, peaches are low in calories and contain no saturated fats and blueberries are believed to be one of the most antioxidant-rich among commonly available fruits and vegetables. I had made an orange cake a while back without peaches and blueberries which turned out really well. This is version 2.0 of that orange cake with the added fresh fruits. Fresh seasonal fruits make an attractive top layer in this simple and flavorful cake. Make thin slices of peaches and orange for topping the cake.
This is an eggless cake and uses yogurt as a binding agent. Please note not to over-mix the dry ingredients while adding it to the wet ingredients. I have mentioned this in the directions below as a reminder while making the cake. Over-stirring yogurt will cause it to break down and thin out. I tried making this cake using both Greek and plain yogurt, and found that both work really well. Greek is a little tangier than plain yogurt. If you are opting for plain yogurt, you can add a quarter tsp of vanilla extract or simply vanilla flavored yogurt. This cake requires very small amounts of added sugar as it works on the sweetness from the fruits and yogurt.
Cooking and baking has increased significantly in our household during the pandemic while we wait patiently to get back out and about and it is safe to go to our favorite restaurants and bakeries. Hopefully, this cake will last a few (couple?) days.
Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and set aside.
Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix them well.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together butter, yogurt and sugar until well combined and smooth. Add orange zest, orange juice and orange extract, mix well.
Now add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Please DO NOT OVER-MIX. Over mixing the batter can make the batter runny and the cake will turn out soggy.
Pour batter into cake pan and top it with orange slice, peach slices and the blueberries.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and place the cake pan on the cooling rack. Once completely cooled, you can serve as such or dust with some icing sugar before you serve.
Thank you for trying this with me!
I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #ttwmblog and I’ll be sure to find it.
Ingredients
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and set aside.
Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix them well.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together butter, yogurt and sugar until well combined and smooth. Add orange zest, orange juice and orange extract, mix well.
Now add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Please DO NOT OVER-MIX. Over mixing the batter can make the batter runny and the cake will turn out soggy.
Pour batter into cake pan and top it with orange slice, peach slices and the blueberries.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and place the cake pan on the cooling rack. Once completely cooled, you can serve as such or dust with some icing sugar before you serve.