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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
It’s not very often that the end flavor of a recipe surprises me. When I am creating recipes in my head, I have a pretty good idea about the outcome. This cake was no different until I took a bite of it. I was pleasantly surprised with the combination of the depth of cardamon, the warmth of the pecans, and the freshness of citrus. The cake turned out so refreshing and light tasting.
I have been slowly working on creating more recipes that don’t require dehydration. Not because I am impatient, but because I am thinking of you. This recipe can be made in stages. The base of the cake can be made and frozen well ahead of time.
The frosting will last about 3-5 days. I don’t recommend assembling the cake until the day of serving. But only because we are dealing with fresh fruit on top, which will release some juice and cause a little discoloration of the frosting.
Speaking of fruit, you could use just about any fruit that is in season; I will say however that the blood orange/orange flavors were quite amazing when paired with this cake.
Blood oranges get their name from the “bloody” pigment found within the fruit called anthocyanin which is widely found in the plant kingdom. It appears as the red found in cherries, red cabbage, as well as the blue in blueberries and even purple found in pansies and eggplants. That all sounds fine and dandy, but what the heck is anthocyanin?
Anthocyanin is a powerful antioxidant and studies show that it can slow or prevent the growth of cancer cells–and even kill them. Blood oranges also contain high amounts of Vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin A, iron, calcium, and even fiber.
The blood oranges originated in Sicily and Spain. I would just love to visit a blood orange orchard. (hint hint). These days they are grown in the United States, Texas, and California. But I think it would great to see exactly where they originated. (hint hint). hehe
Ingredients:Yields 6” cake round
Dry ingredients:
Wet Ingredients:
Frosting:
Garnish:
Cake:
Frosting:
Garnish:
Press the cake batter firmly and evenly into a 6” pan.
Make the Raw Coconut Orange Whipped Cream Frosting.
Spread a layer of frosting on top of the cake. You can decorate the sides if you wish.
I loved the rustic feel, showcasing the texture of the Pecan Date Cake.
Cut thin slices of oranges, then cut in half. Fan the slices around the cake.
Poke a few sprigs of mint around the cake and enjoy.
You are amazing. Can’t wait to make this cake.Your love for what you are doing shows in every recipe, photo, and your fun jargon. Thanks so much for sharing your joy and talents to make us all healthy and happy.
Thank you Deb, I am happy that you can see my passion throughout each recipe. :) It brings me so much joy. Have a splendid Monday that is full of happiness. amie sue
Thought you should read an article about agave syrup. It is not a healthful food. It’s worse than high fructose corn syrup!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agave-nectar-health-food.aspx
I have read so many reports Jerily… the good and the bad. I appreciate that you pointed this out. Here is some more reading http://www.xagave.com/dispelling-agave-myths.html. We don’t consume a lot of agave. I use a wide range of raw and natural sweeteners in our home and we eat them all in moderation… making the best choices that we can. Have a wonderful week, amie sue
This looks amazing. Why do you soak and then dehydrate the pecans? Could you do this just using pecans without soaking and dehydrating first?
Good evening Sarah,
If you click on the link in the recipe list, right next to the pecans, it will take you to a post that I wrote as to why we should soak nuts and seeds. I then dehydrated them so they would be dry for the purpose of the cake texture. If you have any further questions after reading that post, just let me know so I can better help you. Blessings and have a wonderful day. amie sue
Oh my…this cake is so beautiful…I love that it looks so moist …I know it will be moist and delicious …thank you so much for sharing your lovely talents with us.
Your welcome Kathy. I have a feeling that you will really like this cake. Please keep me posted if you try it. Have a glorious day when you get this message. amie sue
What can I use in place of he almond flour, my daughter is allergic to almonds.
Hello Louise, you can use cashew flour, oat flour or even just more of the pecan flour. amie sue
Wow. Beautiful.
Thank you Michelle :)
Hi, I was wondering if you have another suggestion for the coconut orange whipped topping? I am not a fan of oranges. The pecan cake looks heavenly!
Thank you
Hello Kim,
Well, you can make just about any frosting for that cake if you are not a orange fan. If you want to keep it in the citrus family, how about lemon? You can even leave out the flavoring and have a real nice, slightly sweet frosting that would easily compliment the cake flavors. :) Sweet dreams, amie sue
Thank you! Lemon sounds good!
Your welcome Kim, let me know if you try it and what you think. Many blessings, amie sue
Hi!
That cake looks delicious! But I only have white flour and pecan flour. Can I use both Or just with the pecan flour would be ok?
Thanks!
Hello Evelyn.
When you say white flour are you referring to gluten, regular flour? If so, I don’t recommend that at all. Pecan flour can work just fine… is it raw or a process flour? amie sue
Hi!
I have bleached white flour I guess it’s processed flour :/
Do you have a recipe where I can use pecan flour. (I made the pecan flour myself:)
Thanks so much!
T
Hello Evelyn,
Yes, bleached white flour is heavily processed. It is void nutrients and I don’t recommend using it. Pecan flour can be used in so many of my recipes. All depends on what you would like to make… it can be used in raw cakes, crackers and breads. Just replace perhaps any almond flours with it. It will change up the flavor profiles but in most cases it will still taste wonderful. If you are ever in question as to where you can use it… make a comment on the bottom of a recipe that inspires you and I will let you know. :) Blessings, amie sue
I made pecan pancakes and OMG! They were absolutely delicious! :)
pooh sounds lovely!!
When I use the print the recipe button, it deletes the dry ingredient section. Any ideas? Thanks
Hmm that is odd. I would suggest rebooting your computer or at least trying a different search engine such as chrome or firefox. I just printing some recipes yesterday and didn’t have any issues. Try those suggestions and then let me know if it fixes it or not. amie sue
Hi Amie Sue,
I made this cake and it was good but a bit dry. Is it possible I over-processed the nuts and flour?
Hmm well there could be many things that we could look at Gayle…
Did you use store bought or homemade coconut flour (like the link I provided)? If you used store bought, it is too drying and will suck up moisture.
Did you dehydrate it at all or leave it uncovered for a time being?
Did it feel dry and crumbly when you first made the batter? If so, and this goes for many recipes, you can always add a small amount of water to it so it moistens up. Start with 1 Tbsp of water at a time.
Keep me posted, Have a great evening, amie sue
I did use store bought coconut flour. Hmmm. :( Didn’t dehydrate. The flavor was good though and we just finished it up tonight. Next time will do what you suggest. Thanks for getting back to me. Have a super weekend.
I am guessing it was the store bought coconut flour Gayle. Next time, make the homemade coconut flour… click on the link that I provided in the ingredient list. I bet you that was the problem. Sweet dreams, amie sue :)
Hi Sue :)
Ive trying to choose a cake for a birthday.
No cacao and id like it to be multilayered… i thought a pecan or wanut cake would be nice. Could i layer this cake? What would you suggest? Or another cake…?
Hello Ma, this cake would be perfect for a layered cake! I hope you have a wonderful birthday celebration! blessings, amie sue