Orange, Almond & Ginger Spelt Celebration Cake - Low Sugar & Dairy Free

It's my birthday week and I wanted to post a cake recipe worthy of a celebration. I normally go for something chocolate for my birthday but this year I thought I would try something different. This Orange, Almond & Ginger Spelt Cake is perfect for any type of celebration. Whether it be a birthday, mother's day, baby shower, engagement, wedding or anniversary. You could use it any of those situations and it would shine. I created this cake for those wanting something a little bit more on the healthy side but not missing out on the yum factor. Most celebration cakes are either chocolate, white chocolate, caramel or some other eye-wateringly sweet flavour. While this isn't super dooper sweet it still packs a delicious punch. I went with flavours that still tantalise the taste buds without leaving you with a sweet toothache. Think a beautifully tender crumbed cake with pops of orange zest along with warming spices of cinnamon and ginger. This cake will leave you with a satisfied smile.

Sandwiched in between the cake is a delightful punch of marmalade and then topped with lashings of lightly sweetened whipped coconut cream in between the layers and smeared on the outside. No rich buttercream icing here. I went with the on trend naked cake icing technique to jazz the cake up and give it a bit of a whimsical style. Fits the name of the blog nicely don't you think. I raided my garden for the finishing touch. Beautiful roses and a touch of jasmine foliage. Don't be afraid to use what foliage you have in the garden but be careful you don't use anything that has been recently sprayed or that is poisonous. I had such fun decorating this cake with the roses from my garden. Don't be afraid to use varying shapes and sizes of flowers and different textures of foliage.

This is meant to be my birthday week but truth be told I have hardly had time to celebrate it on the day properly. We have just got back from spending ten days in the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane with J.D. He got struck down with a nasty case of bacterial pneumonia which ended up him having to be transferred to Brisbane for treatment. So thoughts of proper birthday celebrations really haven't been in my mind but hopefully, over the next week, we can set a time to properly celebrate it. First order of the day is catching up on many hours of lost sleep we endured over the past ten days. I wish I had a piece of this cake leftover because cake truly makes everything better followed by chocolate and a cup of tea.

Don't be afraid to make this cake a day or two in advance as the flavours develop more over the days after it is cooked and iced. The coconut whipped cream creates a nice barrier on the cake to keep it lovely and moist. Simply add the final floral decorations and hour before serving so as they don't wilt and look sad and sorry. Nobody like floppy looking flowers. I hope you give this cake a go for your next celebration or even with Mother's day approaching. This would make the perfect dessert on the day!

Orange, Almond & Ginger Spelt Celebration Cake

by

The Whimsical Wife

Prep Time:

45 min

Cook Time:

30-40 minutes

Serves:

6-8 people

6081373

Ingredients

:

Cake

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup stevia powder (or your favour sweetener)
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• pinch salt
• zest of whole orange
• Juice or 1/2 orange
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
• 2 cups almond meal
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoon of your favourite marmalade for decorating.

Coconut Whipped Cream

• 2 x 400ml can coconut cream chilled in fridge for 24 hours
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp honey

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (fan bake). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer place the eggs, stevia, vanilla extract, salt and coconut oil and beat until combined.
3. Add the orange zest, orange juice, spice and apple cider vinegar and gently mix to combine.
4. On low speed add half the spelt flour and almond meal followed by half the milk. Add in the baking powder and soda. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and gently mix to combine.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place into the oven for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Let the cake cook completely before removing from the pan.

Coconut Whipped Cream

1. Gently scoop the thick cream from the top of the tin being careful not to get any of the watery substance at the bottom. 
2. Place the thick cream into a bowl of an electric mixer and beat for two minutes on high before adding the vanilla extract and honey before beating for further 2-3 minutes. The coconut cream should be fluffy and thick.

Assembly

1. Cut the cake in half and place a dab of the coconut cream onto the serving plate. Place the bottom of the cake on top of the coconut cream to hold it into place.
2. Add the marmalade on top of the bottom layer and using an offset spatula smooth it over the cake. Add 1/4 - 1/3 cup of the coconut whipped cream mixture and smooth over the top of the marmalade.
3. Add the top layer of the cake and press down gently. Add 1/4-1/3 cup of the coconut whipped cream on top of the cake and smooth over the top.
4. Add dabs of the cream around the side of the cake and gently smooth it all around until it is fully covered. Using a baker's scraper or the offset spatula gently run it around the side of the cake to take off a portion of the cream to show portions of the cake through. This gives it the "naked" cake look.
5. Pop the cake in the fridge for an hour or two before adding the floral garnish on top.

Cooks Notes

• This cake can be made a day or two in advance. The flavours develop even more the days after it's made.
• It keeps well in an air tight container for at least a week and a month in the freezer. When defrosting leave the cake on the bench for a few hours.

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