Orange Cake

Tomorrow (well today, now since it's past midnight) is King's Day here in the Netherlands. Apparently a tradition that is often linked to the color orange, as many are in this country. I'm not so familiar with the holidays, but since we had hallway dinner today (yesterday), we had a theme of orange food.

The moment I heard that, I thought of the jars of candied tangerine zest that I still had from winter break (same as the ones used here). Then my thoughts drifted to candied orange slices, and orange flavored cake in general. So I stopped by the supermarket after class this morning, grabbed a net of oranges, and restocked on self-rising flour.

I set off first by really cleaning one of the oranges (salt or baking soda is really effective). Then I did my best to cut it into evenly thick slices. As I am so not proficient at that, I cut the whole orange, and selected the five best slices. A simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water ratio) in a pot, and those slices, simmering over medium-low heat started the candying process.

I shaved off the zest from most of the remaining, messed up slices, and chopped those up really small. Then I squeezed the juice into a measuring cup to use in the recipe. I wanted to test pairing it with some black tea flavor, so I stuck an English breakfast teabag into some hot water, and topped my orange juice with that.

The base of this recipe is the same as the matcha mochi cake I made a few weeks ago. I replaced the water with the orange juice/tea mix, didn't put in any matcha, but instead threw in the orange zests and a handful of candied orange peels into the dry ingredients, and followed the rest of the recipe, omitting the vinegar, as I deemed the orange juice sufficient. Due to the juice's acidity, I also increased the amount of sugar.

After cooling, I dusted the top with icing sugar, and decorated with the drained candied orange slices. Unfortunately, the tea taste wasn't strong enough to come through all that orange. I'm happy the cake came out fine as I had a couple of mishaps (accidentally used baking powder instead of baking soda...)

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RECIPE

  Ingredients

• 200 g self-rising flour
• 120 g sugar
• 75 g cooking oil
• 175 g orange juice/tea
• zest of an orange
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• icing sugar, for decorating
• candied orange slices, for decorating

  Procedure

1. Preheat oven 170˚C.
2. Grease and flour a loaf pan, or line it with baking paper. Alternatively, line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
3. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and orange zests.
4. In another bowl, mix orange juice/tea, oil, and vinegar.
5. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
6. Pour into prepared pan.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool on a grill.
9. Once completely cool, dust with icing sugar, and lay candied orange peels on top.

Orange Chocolate Cake

To celebrate a double birthday (early birthdays for my brother and my dad), I made two desserts. Well technically, I was supposed to just make this cake, and my cousin B was supposed to make the apple tart. In the end, she had other stuff to do as well, so she helped me make the applesauce. Then I made the rest of the tart using store-bought puff pastry for the crust. This was also because my dad mentioned preferring it with puff pastry.

While debating what cake to make, I recalled the Black Forest cake I had made. I didn't have applesauce, but I used some my cousin made for the apple tart. I also used a sweetened cocoa powder (like those to mix in milk) as I did not have unsweetened cocoa, so reduced the sugar a lot. Also, instead of using 1/2 cup of decaf, I used about 1/4 cup decaf, and 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice. To add to the orange flavor, I zested an organic orange and threw it in with the dry ingredients.

For decoration, I sliced a smaller organic orange and simmered it in a simple sugar syrup (1 part sugar, 1 part water) until translucent, then drained on a grill. On a whim, I took some chocolate, melted it with a bit of vegetable oil to make it shinier. Then I swiped some leaf/drop shapes on a sheet of baking paper using the back of a spoon, and put it in the freezer to set.

I whipped cream with some icing sugar in it and put it between the two cake halves. Then I spread the rest over the top of the cake, and cut halves of candied orange slices before arranging them on top. With the chocolate, I settled for a flower-like shape, trying my best to keep the chocolate from melting in my hands. I chopped up a bit of a leftover candied orange for the flower's center.

Here's the cake with the candles, as well as a bit of the apple tart. I had planned to try making my own puff pastry, but didn't want to make the effort while having so much to do that day. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my camera at college, so had to settle with my phone's camera. We had a nice dinner with family, ate the cake, apple tart, and a fruit salad accompanied by some tea, then played games. All in all, it was a great party!

Orange Zest Cupcakes

For a quick brunch between friends, I decided to make some cupcakes (mostly because I've been wanting to bake something, but didn't have the opportunity to). I still had some candied orange peels from the last candied orange cupcakes, so I opted for an orange-y cupcake. Good thing I still have some oranges sitting in the fruits basket!

I baked a half batch of basic vegan cake (this time, it yielded 6 cupcakes), in which I added about 2 tbs of candied orange zests, and grated in the zest of an additional orange.

I made a batch of frosting with some orange blossom aroma, and then decorated with an orange supreme and some more candied peels.

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BASIC VEGAN CAKE RECIPE

  Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup unsweetened soymilk
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 tbs vanilla extract
• 1 tbs white or apple cider vinegar

  Procedure

1. Preheat oven 180°C. Grease and flour a cake pan. Alternatively, use cupcake liners.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones.
5. Mix well, ensuring there are no dry pockets of flour.
6. Pour into pan.
7. Bake for 30 mins (for a whole cake) or 20 mins (for normal-sized cupcakes), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let it cool and ice/top it however you want.

FROSTING RECIPE

  Ingredients

• 5 tbs flour
• 1 cup soymilk
• 1 cup butter, softened
• granulated sugar, to taste
• 1-2 tsp of flavor

  Procedure

1. In a saucepan, whisk together flour and soymilk. Heat until thickened to a batter-like consistency.
2. Add in the flavor.
3. Cool to room temperature. 
4. Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy, and no graininess from the sugar remains
5. Add the flour/soymilk mix, and beat until it reaches a frosting consistency.

Candied Orange Cupcakes

I had some whipped cream left from Apple Cinnamon Cake, so I wanted to quickly make some cupcakes to top it with. Unfortunately, the whipped cream had gone bad already...

Instead, I decided to candy some orange peels, and add them to the batter. I also used the leftover ones as topping.

The recipe used is the basic vegan cake recipe I always use, except I ran out of soy milk, so I used cow's milk (Recipe in the linked cake above). Half a batch made 7 cupcakes. I added the candied peels of about 1 orange.

Orange Cheesecake, Christmas Tree Cake Remake

 

For yet another hallway dinner (February 2nd), I made a very simple orange cheesecake. The crust is a simple crushed cookie and butter crust, topped with a cream cheese and orange juice mix. The hardest part was making the topping using supremed tangerines. The failed ones got chopped into small pieces and cooked with a bit of pectin to cover the rest of the surface. Then I just shaved some chocolate on top.

I made about 10 of these, and will make this recipe again when I'm in a pinch, as it is so very easy to make. The recipe called for less orange juice than I used, but I just added enough for the batter to reach a consistency I felt was normal for cheesecake, based on previous experiences. This cheesecake also does not need to be baked, simply chilled overnight.

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I also made a 2nd Christmas Tree cake, with an improved interior. The exterior, however, wasn't as good due to my ganache not holding the way it was supposed to...

Random things

Blood orange

Technically not something I cooked... Well, I cooked the peel. We had an organic chemistry lab, in which we had to extract limonene from the orange peel. Afterwards, we could either bring the orange home, or leave it in this basket in the lab room. I took mine home, and they were delicious! Very pretty, too, so I wanted to share.

Pita

Again, not something I cooked, but it's delicious. Got it at the Grand Place in Brussels.

Some pasta

Didn't have anything to make for dinner one day, except a bunch of cans.... So I made spaghetti.

Orange cheesecake

Same cheesecake as the last one, except for the topping~

Actually, I was out of blueberry jam, which I usually water down to top my cheesecakes. But I had an orange! So I peeled it, took out the quarters, peeled the inner skin, cooked the peel I just removed with a ton of sugar.... into a syrup with candied orange bits, which I cut up really small. I also made some candied orange peels~ They're good~

My most artistic cheesecake so far! Took me a while to make it, since I was going by instinct/impulse the whole time. Dunno how it'll taste, since it's for my brother~

Ok, recipe. I know the link above leads to the other recipes and all, I'll still copy everything in this post for convenience's sake.

CRUST

Ingredients:

- 400 g flour

- 100 g ground almonds or hazelnuts

- 110 g sugar

- 350 g butter

Procedure:

1. Mix the flour, nuts, sugar and butter.

2. Refrigerate for about 30 mins.

3. Spread into a thin layer in pan. Poke generously of holes/put raw beans on top to prevent rising.

4. Cook 15 mins at 180°C in the middle of the oven.

5. Cool before adding cheesecake filling.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

Ingredients:

- 2 Philadelphia cream cheeses (300 g)

- 250 g or one small tub sour cream (fromage frais ou fromage blanc)

- 2 eggs (I use Orgran egg replacer)

- lemon juice

- vanilla extract

- topping (anything you want, really)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven (71°C)

2. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla, then add in the eggs

3. Pour into the crust then put into the oven for about 45 minutes or until slightly cracked

4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

5. Decorate with topping, and refrigerate until served.

Tip: The longer the cheesecake is refrigerated, the better it will be.

ORANGE TOPPING

Ingredients:

- 1 orange

- Sugar

- Water

Procedure:

1. Peel an orange. Reserve some of the rind aside.

2. Separate the quarters.

3. Delicately remove the thin skin around the orange, leaving the fleshy interior. BE CAREFUL, the rounded part is very easily ripped along with the skin. Keep these skins aside as well.

4. In a small pot, boil the thin orange skins as well as one of the quarters, for fragrance. Add sugar until syrupy.

5. Dip the peeled orange quarters into the syrup and refrigerate.

6. Take the syrup out of the pot and rinse the pot. Remove the white from the orange rind, and cut the remaining orange part into thin strips.

7. Take the now candied skins out of the syrup, and chop them very small.

8. Meanwhile, boil the orange peel pieces. Once thoroughly softened, add sugar until this mixture is syrupy. Taste a peel to make sure it's sweet.

9. Arrange the orange quarters on the cheesecake.

10. Spread the first syrup mix all over, covering the orange pieces, and all around.

11. Take the second syrup mix (with the candied peels) and spread around the edges, near the crust.

12. If you wish to emphasize the "star" shape in the center as I did, take a small spoon and delicately remove the syrup from between the quarters, putting it elsewhere on the cake.

13. Refrigerate before serving.

Enjoy~