If life gives you oranges… you can make a cake with oats, carrots and saffron, as has been my case. My in-laws arrived from Valencia with a huge box full of delicious oranges bursting with sweet and aromatic juice, and I instantly had the craving to bake with them.
It is a perfect cake for breakfasts or occasional snacks when you want a sweeter treat, without being too cloying. For these baking recipes I try to reduce the added sugar, balancing that sweetness with the other ingredients, such as fruit or carrots. With almonds and oats in the dough we get a more satisfying cake that will give us good energy for the whole day.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC and prepare a rectangular plumcake-type mold with sulfide paper, about 20-22 cm long. Wash the carrots and oranges well; Finely grate the first and mix with a little zest from the second. Squeeze the oranges, allowing some of the pulp to fall out.
Beat the eggs with the brown sugar in a bowl using a whisk, for about 4-5 minutes, until they are very creamy and dense. Add the juice of the oranges – making sure that no bones have been strained -, the oil and the saffron, and beat a little more.
In another slightly larger container, mix the flour, almonds, oat flakes, yeast, salt and cardamom or cinnamon with a hand whisk. Make a hole and pour in the liquids. Mix gently until there are no dry lumps and add the carrots with the vanilla essence. Combine well.
Fill the mold evenly and cover with a few tablespoons of rolled oats and, if desired, brown sugar to taste. Bake at medium height for about 42-45 minutes, making sure it doesn't burn. Check the point by piercing the center with a skewer or toothpick.
Wait a little while out of the oven before unmolding, using the paper, and let it cool completely on a rack. Store covered in an airtight container, placing it in the refrigerator if it is too hot the next day.
What to accompany the orange, oatmeal and carrot cake
I accompany my portion of orange, oatmeal and saffron carrot cake with a glass of vegetable drink or a good cup of unsweetened coffee – of course -, in the morning or mid-afternoon. A simple glass of cold or warmer milk is the only thing a cake like this needs.
