Vegan Orange Sticky Cake

I don’t think there is a category I skip over more than vegan recipes. I admit, I equate vegan with icky, grainy, tastes-like-sawdust. Just generally eww. And I’m not sure why, since I’m not sure I’ve actually had a vegan recipe before.

So I apologize to the vegans out there, I may have judged your entire category a bit too hastily.

Because this cake is vegan. And it looks delicious. It has regular flour, regular sugar, even vegetable oil. Who knew vegan recipes had normal ingredients?!

I’m making it today and I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Sticky Orange Cake with Marmalade Glaze

(makes 2 9-inch round layers)

Cake
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 orange, zested
2 cups orange juice
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon rum or vodka (or water)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Whisk until thoroughly combined, crumbling the brown sugar with the tips of your fingers if necessary.

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup whisk together the orange juice, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Quickly mix the wet ingredients into the dry mix and whisk thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Let the cakes cool for about 20 minutes in the cake pans, then run a knife around the inside of the pan to release each layer. Turn the cake layers out onto cooling racks. Glaze while the cakes are still warm, but not hot.

To make the glaze, mix the marmalade and rum or vodka in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the glaze is bubbling and hot. Turn off the heat and immediately glaze the cake.

Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Pierce the top with a toothpick a few times. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the solid bits of the marmalade and set them aside in a small bowl. Pour about half the liquid in the saucepan over the first cake layer. Place the second layer on top of the first, and repeat. Spoon the solid bits of marmalade peel on top of the cake.

{recipe and image from The Kitchn}

We’re headed to see friends for dinner tonight (I’m bringing that cake!) and as a little hostess gift, I usually like to bring something for our friends to have the next morning for breakfast.

So the mushy bananas in the fruit bowl are getting a transformation into this recipe. That way the hosts have a little treat the next day to remember us by!