Orange and Ginger Cake

by Charmaine Dennis, FGHG Director and Naturopath

Simple to make, this delicious orange and ginger cake is rich with protein from eggs and almond meal. To help your body out of the slumber of winter, this cake is sure to warm the cockles of your heart and make the blood flow to your fingers and toes with a generous addition of fresh ginger. You could use mandarins if you have them in abundance, or even try it with a combination of citrus fruits. Love to hear about it if you do! You could just as easily make muffins for lunch boxes from this recipe if you prefer. Conveniently, it is also gluten free.

Ingredients

3 whole sweet oranges – medium size navels are perfect
5 organic eggs
1 heaped TBS fresh, finely grated ginger
1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey – manuka or jarrah is best for additional immune boost in a cake!)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
3 ½ cups almond meal

Method

• Boil whole oranges in their skins in water until soft (about one hour). Drain and cool
• Preheat oven to 170 C or fan forced at 160 C
• Lineand grease 20cm cake tin with baking paper on the base and sides
• Roughly chopboiled oranges into a food processor and process until smooth
• Addeggs, ginger, maple (or honey) and vanilla then process again until creamy
• Addalmond meal and baking powder then process again for about 15 seconds, scrape down the sides and process again until a batter is formed
• Spoon into the tin and smooth over the top
• Bakefor 45 minutes or until cooked through. It will turn golden on top and feel spongy to press
• Removefrom the oven and allow to cool in the tin before removing
• Enjoy plain or top with Orange and Ginger Syrup (below) with coconut or regular full fat yoghurt or cream

Orange and Ginger Cake Syrup Topping

One whole orange, sliced
One orange, juiced
½ cup brown sugar
1 TBS fresh, finely grated ginger

• Dissolve the sugar in the orange juice over heat, bring to the boil
• Add ginger and orange slices, covering with liquid.
• Simmer gently, carefully turning the orange slices, keeping them covered until a thick consistency is reached and the peel starts to turn translucent
• Lift out orange slices and arrange on the top of the cake
• Spoon remaining orange syrup over the top

Charmaine Dennis is the founder and director of Fertile Ground Health Group and a fertility Naturopath with nearly 20 years experience. Having gone through the medical treatment of a life-threatening cancer diagnosis, she now also enjoys supporting others to navigate their way through their experience of cancer treatment. Charmaine is a mentor to other naturopaths and students, and regularly runs retreats and workshops to help practitioners connect with their passions and thrive in their practice.