This Orange Saffron Cake is slightly adapted from Aran Goyoaga’s new book Cannelle et Vanille BAKES SIMPLE. I baked it for a special treat to serve at our end-of-year Sadvidya meeting, and it was a true treat! It is incredibly moist, with a deeply fragrant orange flavour, and the saffron gives it a hint of earthiness. I made it vegan by replacing the two eggs with a flaxseed mixture and increasing baking powder.

notes

  • The flaxseeds must be ground as finely as possible to absorb water well.
  • Use superfine brown rice flour; I use this brand of flour for all my baking.
  • Orange-flower water, or agua de azahar, as it is called in Spanish, can be found in speciality and middle eastern markets. I did not use it in this recipe, as I didn’t have it in my pantry. Even without it, it was incredibly fragrant.
  • This cake is very delicate, so handle it gently and allow the cake to cool completely and for the crumb to set.
  • The vegan cream can be replaced with regular cream – folding in the icing sugar and vanilla after whipping.
orange saffron cake (Aran Goyoaga)

preparation 15 minutes

baking 40-45 minutes

assembling 2-3 hours for the cream to thicken and the cake to cool completely.

makes one 8-inch layer cake

ingredients

3 Tbsp/18g ground flaxseed + 6 Tbsp/60g hot water (allow to sit for 10 mins as below)

½ cup/110g warm oat milk

⅛ tsp saffron threads

¾ cup/150g blond sugar

2 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (zest from 2 oranges), plus more for garnishing

3 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

1 Tbsp orange-flower water (optional)

½ cup/110g extra virgin olive oil

1 cup/140g brown rice flour

1 cup/100g almond flour

¾ tsp fine rock salt

1 Tbsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ cup/35g sliced almonds

powdered sugar for dusting

cream

⅓ cup/60g vegan/regular butter (softened to room temperature)

1 tub (200g) Vegan Violife Cream Cheese, (available from Celeiro – out of the fridge for an hour)

⅓ cup/40g icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract or scrape 1 vanilla bean (halved lengthways and seeds scraped out)

preparation

  1. Preheat your oven to 180C/350F. Generously oil the inside of an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with baking paper.
  2. Into a large bowl, add the flaxseed with water and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
  3. Combine the milk and saffron in a small pan and warm over low heat for 2 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes, then add to the flaxseed mixture.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest. Rub the mixture between your fingers so the zest releases its natural oils and becomes fragrant. Whisk into the flaxseed mixture along with the orange juice, orange-flower water (if using), and olive oil – whisk until smooth.
  5. In a small bowl, combine the brown rice flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients and whisk until well incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle over the sliced almonds.
  6. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan; 3 – 4 hours is ideal.

prepare the cream

  1. Beat the butter with a hand mixer until soft. Add the violife cream cheese and beat again until well mixed (don’t over mix.) Sift over icing sugar and add the vanilla extract – beat again. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use – 2 hours.
  2. Place the cake on a cake stand. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half crosswise. I press one hand on the top center of the cake and cut with the other hand as you turn the cake, which helps in even cutting. The cake is delicate, so be gentle.
  3. Spread the cream over the bottom cake layer. Place the top layer on the cream, sprinkle with orange zest and dust the cake with powdered sugar.