Lucky Orange New Year’s Cake

Baking is so much fun! I love baking simple cakes and muffins that always taste so great alongside a good cup of coffee. I am by no means a great baker, but this Lucky Orange New Year’s Sponge Cake is a pretty simple recipe that anyone can make!

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Plus, it is supposed to bring good luck if baked and eaten on the first day of the New Year.

If you’ve been a reader of SeasonalCookbook.com for any length of time, you’ll know that I typically share healthy, seasonal recipes so a recipe for cake – or anything baked – is a little out of my comfort zone!

But I figured that the New Year only comes once a year and we could all use a little luck at this time of year, so I tried to create something that was seasonal and healthy.

At least as healthy as a cake recipe could be!

If you are one of my more health-conscious readers, please check out my Vegan Somen Salad Recipe, my Mediterranean Diet inspired Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo (One Pot) Recipe, my Blackened Swordfish Recipe, or my Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken.

If nothing else, those recipes are a good way to detox from the holidays!

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So, let me be the first to wish YOU a Happy New Year and say….Let’s Get Cooking Baking!

General Recipe Details:

Servings: 10

Prep Time: 15 – 20 minutes

Bake Time: one hour

Cool Time: 1/2 hour

*****Tired of shopping for ingredients? Get everything you need for making healthy meals delivered directly to your door from EveryPlate!***** 

What You Need:

• 4 cups flour
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 sticks (melted) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• grated zest of one orange
• grated zest of one lemon
• slivered almonds (optional)

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 10-inch round cake pan.
2. Beat egg yolks with sugar for about 3 minutes in a large mixing bowl until light yellow (if you’re not into stainless steel cookware, check out these colorful bowls from Greenlife!)
3. Add the butter and beat for another minute. Beat in the orange juice.
4. Mix dry ingredients (excluding almonds) in another bowl and blend into the yolk mix.
5. Beat egg whites separately until they form soft peaks, then fold them into the batter.
6. Pour batter into cake pan and top with almonds.
7. Bake cake for one hour and let cool before serving.

Lucky Orange New Year’s Cake

Recipe by Bill

5.0 from 6 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

480

kcal

An orange sponge-type cake with slivered almonds to top it off. This is a relatively easy recipe that anyone can make. The real key is using the orange juice and orange zest to enhance the flavor. This ‘lucky’ orange sponge cake with slivered almonds is said to bring good luck for the entire year if eaten on New Year’s Day. The twist is using the orange juice in the mix!

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour

• 4 large eggs, separated

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 sticks (melted) butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup orange juice

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• grated zest of one orange

• grated zest of one lemon

• slivered almonds (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 10-inch round cake pan like this one.
• Beat egg yolks with sugar for about 3 minutes in a large mixing bowl until light yellow. Add the butter and beat for another minute. Beat in the orange juice.
• Mix dry ingredients (excluding almonds) in another bowl and blend into the yolk mix.
• Beat egg whites separately until they form soft peaks, then fold them into the batter.
• Pour batter into cake pan and top with almonds.
• Bake cake for one hour and let cool before serving.

Notes

• Slivered almonds are optional, but they do add both flavor and texture to this delicious orange sponge cake
• In some cultures, an orange sponge cake is considered to bring good luck in the coming year if made and consumed on New Year’s Day!
• Have you ever tried Cooking in Color? Check it out!
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