Oranges may not be local, but of course they are one of England’s most popular fruits. Cheap and tasty and packed with vitamin C, here are three simple vegan cake recipes, if you’ve bought a bag of oranges, eaten a couple, and don’t know what to do with the rest of them!
This Sticky Vegan Orange Cake (The Veg Space) is made with plant-based yoghurt and ground almonds, served with an orange drizzly syrup.
Keep citrus fruits away from pets. Read more on food safety for people and pets. Also bin citrus rinds, as acids could harm compost bin creatures.
Vegan Orange Loaf Cake
Vegan Orange Loaf Cake (Cupful of Kale) is a delicious fluffy sponge, topped with a tasty orange icing.
5-Ingredient Whole Orange Cake
This vegan whole orange cake (Rainbow Nourishments) only needs 5 ingredients. Free from oil and flour, the secret ingredient is potato starch, which you can buy in most grocery stores.
Why Are Oranges So Popular in England?
Not native, oranges only arrived on English shores in the 17th century, and back then were only eaten by people with access to orangeries (big greenhouses).
Before that, Queen Eleanor (from Spain) would order oranges to dock at Portsmouth harbour, as she was homesick for her favourite fruits.
Today, most oranges still arrive from southern Europe. But Pesticide Action Network say oranges (along with grapes) are usually covered in a cocktail of pesticides before arriving on supermarket shelves. So try to choose organic if you can.
You can also buy darker richer Spanish blood oranges (you can sub in recipes but they will be different in taste and colour). Also related to oranges are mandarins, clementines and easy-to-peel Japanese satsumas.
