Goji berries are almost too pretty to eat, and anything made with them is beautiful. Here this delicious Goji Berry Orange cake pairs the beautiful berries with orange for satisfying indulgence. Nut-Free, Dairy-Free
Here is a delicious cake flavored with bright red goji berries and orange. Look at the berries decorating the top of the cake! Aren’t they gorgeous? The bright and sweet flavors of orange complement the berries perfectly. If you haven’t had these berries give them a try.
What are Goji Berries
Goji Berries are native to Asia. You will find them in China and the Himalayan regions. These are also known as wolfberries and many other local names. These bright red fruits on the plant resemble varieties of tiny chilies found in Asia rather than a berry. Rightfully so too – as these belong to the nightshade family. These berries are a powerhouse of nutrition as well. The traditional medicinal practitioners of the regions use these berries for its medicinal value and it is found as a superfood in many health supplements.
Cook with Goji Berries
These little nuggets are not much fun to eat plain. I am happy to pop a few in the mouth, but as for the little guys in the household, one taste was all it took before they made up their mind. To make these more palatable pair with something sweet or sour. That is where the Oranges in the recipe help.
These berries are a bit pricey, but you need just a little to get a whole lot of goodness.
Few More Orange Recipes
Ingredients for the Goji Berry Orange Cake
This cake is very similar to a yellow cake. The berries and oranges are the two bright ingredients that transform it into something utterly delicious and healthy. Even though the flavors of the cake sound complicated there are just a few ingredients in the recipe. Here they are with a brief note on each.
- Flour: Use all-purpose, cake flour, or even whole wheat pastry flour or the Indian Atta.
- Oil: Oil keeps this cake moist and light. Use any neutral oil, canola, or vegetable oil works great here.
- Eggs: Do not skimp on eggs. Eggs work as a great binder and add to the volume too.
- Sugar: The choice of sweetener and I use raw sugar. There is no need to go for white sugar as the cake is not meant to look white. Substitute part of the sugar (up to 50%) with honey if you like.
- Salt: Don’t forget salt – it makes all the flavors pop.
- Baking Powder: The leavening of choice. You could substitute baking soda as there is enough acidity in the OJ. If doing so use ¼ of the amount of baking powder.
- Goji Berries and Orange: The stars of the cake. Soak the goji berries in orange juice for at least 10 minutes. If using whole wheat flours use 1/4 C more of the juice.
Yes, it is dairy and nut-free!
Making the Goji Berry Orange Cake
The first part of making the cake is preparing the berries. At the same time take out the refrigerated eggs (if they are refrigerated) and leave them on the counter to come to room temperature
Preparing the Berries
Dried goji berries are a little chewy, and I usually soak them for a little bit to soften them. For the I cake soak them for an hour, but 30 minutes will give good results too. It is just long enough to soften the berries and they still hold their shape well.
Plumped-up berries are lovely in salads and can be easily blended in smoothies. Let the berries soak for 10 minutes to an hour or more depending on how soft you want them.
Making the batter
Mix all the dry ingredients well and sift. Beat the oil and sugar well, add the eggs one by one and beat till soft and pale. To this add the vanilla extract and mix well. Add half the dry ingredients and fold in using the spatula. Add the soaked goji berries with the juice and the orange zest. Mix it in followed by adding the remaining flour.
Pour into a prepared pan – I have used an 8-inch circular spring form pan with about 2″ sides. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350°F/175°C. Ovens vary so check on the cake a little a little before the 40 minute mark.
For various oven temperature conversions please refer to this handy conversion chart.
Decorating and Serving
These cakes taste beautiful just as it is, but nothing spectacular to look at. Chocolate ganache frosting goes lovely with this cake, but if you like to keep the frosting dairy-free as well use a simple orange glaze.
For the picture at the top I have used cream cheese frosting and candied orange slices – not a dairy-free version.
Here the cake is topped with a light orange icing drizzle . Orange sections and lightly soaked goji berries complete the decorations :-).
Chocolate drizzle and chocolate ganache are my two other favorite ways to jazz up this cake. To be honest a slice of it unadorned is just as lovely with a cup of tea !
Goji Berry Orange Whole Wheat Cake
Ingredients
- 2 C All Purpose Flour See Notes
- 2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1 C Sugar
- 3/4 C Oil
- 2 Eggs Large
- 1/3 C Goji Berry
- 3/4 C Orange Juice
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 1 Tsp Orange Zest
Instructions
- Soak the goji berries in orange juice and zest for at least an hour. Line the base of an in circular pan with parchment paper and oil the sides or oil and flour the pan.
- Mix the oil and sugar together. Beat well until blended smooth. Add eggs to this mix and mix till it becomes smooth and pale yellow in color. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add half the flour to the egg mixture. Fold in the flour and add the soaked goji berries along with the juices. Stir till mixed well and fold in the remaining flour.
- Transfer to aprepared 8" circular cake tin.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick/cake tester inserted in the center comes out dry.
- Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes before transferring into a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Serving Options
- Serve plain with tea.
- Drizzle simple orange glaze over the cake and decorate with orange slices and soaked goji berries.
- Cream cheese frosting and candied oranges
Notes
- Atta or any other fine ground whole wheat flour works perfect in this recipe.
- If using Whole Wheat flour add 1/4 C more Orange juice.
Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.