Ahh – wow. That’s what I literally hear every time I set out this citrus-scented vegan Big Orange Bundt Cake for serving. But we all know the proof is in the tasting! Well, this cake goes to the head of its class. It’s unusal to see a deep vegan cake. If you don’t know why, you can find the reason in my cookbooks Vegan Chocolate and More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally, and certainly in the Rouxbe Essential Vegan Desserts course. As this is a big cake, a pan with a center tube is necessary to ensure that the large amount of batter bakes through. Here a Bundt pan with a hollow center core, similar to an angel food cake pan but with fluted sides, is used. Serve this cake with vegan orange cream, or any other dairy-free cream, or with a simple dusting of organic cane sugar, but do make it and serve it. And for those of you who crave chocolate candies for Easter, how about these Chocolate Orange Sesame Truffles?
Big Orange Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup light natural cane sugar
- 1/4 cup dark whole cane sugar
- 2/3 cup canola oil
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup soymilk or rice milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 3 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Oil a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan thoroughly.
- Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add the pastry flour, white flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, sugar, and dark whole cane sugar to the strainer. Tap the strainer against the palm of your hand to sift the ingredients into the bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients.
- Combine the oil, orange juice, soymilk, vinegar, vanilla and orange extracts, and zest in a separate bowl, and whisk until well combined. Pour into the dry mixture and stir with a whisk until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan. The pan will be two-thirds full. (If you have more batter than that, perhaps a cup or so, bake it in one or two 1-cup baking ramekins or custard cups.) Smooth the top of the batter with a small spatula. Rotate the Bundt pan to level the batter, and tap it lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the cake is golden and springs back near firm at the center when touched lightly. A tester inserted in a few spots near the center of the cake should come out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Place another wire rack on top of the cake and turn the pan upside down. Shake the pan gently to release the cake. Cool the cake completely before serving.
Recipe Notes
Tip: If the cake sticks to the pan when it is inverted on the rack, wet a kitchen towel in very warm water, wring it out, and place it over the inverted pan for few minutes. Shake the pan gently and the cake should release. Recipe from More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally, © 2006 by Fran Costigan. Photo by Linda Long