Oh my, num num.
You know what I love? A cake batter that I can lick the spoon and a little more without concern of the instilled phobias passed onto me via mom, health class and the FDA. I know my chicken buddies don't have salmonella - that is rather a factory farm poor care issue. But the phobia lingers... I still lick the spoon of other cakes because I'm a pig... but still.
No guilt, no fears.
I looked and looked for an orange cardamom cake that sounded nice. Nothing. I got excited when I found a link to David Leibovitz' version and then it ended in a broken link. Cuter, because of his cursing in French error page. Alas, no recipe sounded good and Liebovitz couldn't throw me a bone.
I wanted to bring something into the office, yeah I'm on occasion in an office these days. It is a borrowed space and I like to leave treats in mortal fear that everyone there hates me. There are a few nut allergies and a few vegans so to please all I made a No nut, no animal product dish. Here is to hoping they like coffee, oranges and cardamom.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
What you'll need:
All in one bowl, the following:
2 Giant/Large oranges - zest into bowl and then juice well (To maximize the juice yield from your oranges roll them around on your counter or cutting board until they are squishy then halve and pulverize picking out seeds)
1/2 Cup Olive oil
1/2 -3/4 Cup applesauce
1 and 1/3 Cup vegan sugar
1 TBSP Orange liquor, liquer ( I used some young and not ready yet 44 which has cinnamon,orange and coffee in it )
Whip smooth and add to dry ingredients once they are mixed and complete.
***UPDATE***
If it isn't a smooth/gooey pourable mix, then add in a little extra applesauce, water, tea, or liquid coffee to get the consistency to pour. Since Orange sizes vary so wildly and juicers also do, then the amount of juice yield could be low one time and high the next.
All Dry ingredients in another larger bowl:
3 Cups flour total (Organic if you have it)
I did 2 Cups unbleached white and 1 Cup whole wheat
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBSP coffee ground finely and sieved into the flour
1 tsp cardamom seeds from their pods. I think about 12 pods? I forgot to count while cutting them open. It is a kind of joy to open the cardamom. I ground the seeds in my coffee grinder with some coffee so the cardamom doesn't dominate my grinder. If you have a dedicated grinder for spices then go for it. My spice grinder is used for hot peppers... that and cumin will flavor everything. So beware.
Nice color with flecks of coffee, and zest. Mmmm
The batter should run off the spoon easily and not have many significant chunks, but no need to beat too much. It also pulls together so nicely and quickly that it doesn't warrant getting a mixer dirty.
Pour this into an oiled and floured pan. I used a bundt pan and it took 35 minutes at 375.
Serve warm or the next day with coffee or tea. I like it warm with the perfume wafting through the room!
