Recipe is for a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan. For a 20cm cake tin, multiply all the quantities by 1.5 and add approximately 15-20 mins to the cooking time.
2-3 blood oranges (depending on their size)
1 ½ cups white or whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons cup fresh citrus juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegan buttermilk (add 1 tsp lemon juice to the non-dairy milk of your choosing and let sit for 5 min)
3 flax ‘eggs’ (whisk together 3 tablespoon ground flaxseeds and 7.5 tablespoons water until gelatinous)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180C. Generously grease and flour an 8½ by 4¼-inch loaf pan. Cut the rinds off the oranges and slice the oranges in cross sections slices approximately 1/2 thick. Lay in the bottom of the greased and floured tin.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the sugar into another medium-sized mixing bowl. Grate 1 teaspoon zest from your blood orange rinds and add it to the bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar, or whisk together until the sugar takes on the colour and fragrance of the oranges.
In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan buttermilk, flax egg, citrus and vanilla.
Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until incorporated. Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil, making sure it’s all incorporated. The batter will be shiny. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden and the sides start to pull away from the sides of the pan; a toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to loosen. Unmold the cake by placing a large plate upside down over the loaf pan and carefully turning them over.
