ORANGE AND CRANBERRY CAKE (SUGAR-FREE AND GLUTEN-FREE)

Do you love your festive treats which are super delicious and not overloaded with sugar??

Well this sugar-free and gluten-free Orange Cranberry cake must be your answer.

It's the holiday season and we all are pumped up high with sugar intake with all the festive goodies and indulgent treats...hence made this super scrumptious sugar-free and gluten-free Orange Cranberry cake as i didn't want to deprive myself from festive treats and yet keeping an eye on that calorie intake.

This moist gluten-free cake is also Keto friendly recipe which is made with almond and oats flour with citrus notes from orange zest and dried cranberries. Sweetness is added with erythritol sugar which is a great substitute for the regular sugar for sugar-free treats without compromising on the taste of that normal sugar. This doesn't have any aftertaste like some other sweeteners.

Do give it a try, as I'm sure you are gonna love it. Do share your comments and feedback below to know what's your verdict on this sugar-free and gluten-free version of this amazingly delicious cake !

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PREP TIME: 20 minutes

BAKE TIME: 60 minutes

PASSIVE TIME: 2 hours

SERVES: 12-16 slices

INGREDIENTS

For cake

• 150g unsalted butter, room temperature

• 280g / 1 1/2 cup erythritol sugar

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• 2 1/4 cup Almond meal

• 1 cup rolled oats, ground into flour

• 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 large navel oranges, zest and juiced

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

For frosting

• 100g butter, room temperature

• 1 tbsp orange zest

• 200g agave sugar, powdered

• 2 tbsp cornstarch

• 1/4 cup almond milk, room temperature

• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For garnish

• 1 navel orange, sliced and quartered

• Fresh rosemary sprigs

• Handful of fresh cranberries, some cut in half

Equipment needed

• 12" x 4" loaf pan

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a large baking loaf pan with parchment paper which should be overhanging an inch from both longer sides. Clip the overhanging paper with wooden pegs to stop them falling on top of the raw batter in the oven.

2. Zest the two oranges and juice them.

3. In a bowl, sift the almond flour, oats flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Keep aside .

4. In a stand mixer bowl, fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and erythritol sugar on medium high speed until creamy and fluffy.

5. Add eggs, one at a time and beat for 2 minutes until combined. Add 1/3 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon of orange zest and vanilla essence. Beat for another minute.

6. Add half the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Keeping the mixer on low speed, mix for few seconds until just combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed again until just combined. Do not over beat.

7. Fold the dried cranberries in the batter and pour into the prepared pan. Bake in pre-heated oven for 55-60 minutes or until fully baked. Turn the loaf pan once halfway through baking. Check the cake after 45-50 minutes, if you feel the surface of the cake is golden brown already and your cake is still raw from the center, using the oven mitts cover it carefully with aluminum foil to stop it from burning and let it bake further until completely baked. Keep checking every 5 mins inserting the skewer as each oven is different.

8. Let the cake sit in pan for 40 minutes to an hour before removing on the wire rack to cool completely.

9. For frosting, sift agave sugar and cornstarch through a fine sieve and ensure there are no lumps.

10. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add sifted sugar mix and beat on medium speed until fluffy and pale. Add vanilla and almond milk, mix again on medium speed until soft and well combined. Don’t overwork as the butter may separate.

11. Gently fold in the orange zest and spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake. Decorate with orange quarters, fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs.

COOK'S NOTES

• Erythritol sugar is an alternative sugar derived from sugar alcohols and is a good substitute for the regular sugar to keep your GI index in check.

• This recipe is suitable for people who are diabetic, allergic to gluten or following a Keto diet.

• Erythritol is used slightly more than the regular sugar because of its sweetness levels. So the ratio is, 1 cup regular sugar = 1 1/3 cup erythritol. It’s sugar level is generally 70% of the regular sugar. Hence, if you are using the above recipe and replacing it with regular sugar, please check the ratio and use accordingly.

• Monk fruit sugar or xylitol sugar can also be used instead of erythritol as a replacement for regular sugar. You may also combine the two sugars to sweeten the cake.

• You can enjoy this cake without frosting as well but the frosting makes it extra moist and gives it a depth of flavour and looks pretty with garnish at the same time.

• To make frosting, you may also use erythritol sugar instead. Blend the erythritol sugar into powder before using it for frosting.

• The cup measures used in the recipe above contains 250ml in a cup. Hence 1 cup = 250ml. Please use correct measurements for best results.

• Please ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature as it makes a huge difference in the texture of your cake and frosting.

• Cake can be kept for up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.