Juicy Orange Vanilla Cake

I've been keeping a secret from you.  Ironically, it started right around the time of this post.  It started off as an experiment, so I didn't want to say anything until I got some results.  But after three weeks, it's become pretty obvious that I need to eliminate gluten from my diet.  

The transition hasn't been as difficult as I expected.  It's so different than simply avoiding carbs, because you can still eat things like rice, potatoes, quinoa, and lentils.  Food itself wasn't even the thing I missed the most - it's beer!  Luckily, my favorite DC bar, Churchkey, has an extensive gluten free (GF) beer list, and I've found a couple that actually taste like beer.  I've started to branch out into GF baking as well, having invested in a couple GF flours.    

This weekend I made Summer's Juicy Orange Vanilla Cake, and it was delicious.  It's made with orange zest and soaked in fresh squeezed orange juice, so it's perfect for late winter when fresh fruit options are limited.  It's also tastes rich with plenty of vanilla, and has just a hint of coconut.  Plus, it's sweetened with only honey, so no refined sugar here.  You can make it GF using coconut and brown rice flour, but you could easily sub in regular flour instead.  

This recipe is super easy and can be whipped up in no time.  It's definitely going to be in frequent rotation in my kitchen!

Juicy Orange Vanilla Cake
Adapted from Summer Harms

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter
1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
6 tablespoons honey
3 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 oranges, zested and juiced
1/4 cup coconut flour*
1/4 cup brown rice flour*
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

*1/2 cup all-purpose flour can be substituted for coconut and brown rice flour if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the coconut oil or butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add the coconut milk and honey and stir to combine; remove from heat.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest.  Add the coconut oil/honey mixture and whisk to combine.  Sift the coconut flour through a fine mesh strainer and stir it into the prepared ingredients.  Add the brown rice flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine (a whisk may be necessary to eliminate clumps).  Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 or similar pan and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack.  Using a fork, poke holes over the surface of the cake and pour the orange juice evenly over it.  Cover and refrigerate; serve cold.