Recipe: Healthy Olive Oil, Fruit and Nut Cake

I enjoy my baking sessions in the kitchen with Baby C. I always try to pick an easy recipe (mix-in-the-bowl type) so that she can do it herself from start to finish - I believe this is a great way to build up her confidence in the kitchen. 

Olive oil, fruit and nut cake

One of the bakes we made last week was this healthy olive oil, fruit and nut cake, which is pretty low in sugar, uses olive oil instead of butter and has a mix of dried fruits (raisins, cranberries and apricots) which my kids adore.It is worth using a good quality olive oil as this will determine the cake's flavour. Pine nuts are also added to this cake to give it a delicate texture and flavour to the cake. This recipe also calls for a few tablespoons of orange juice and I also added some of the orange zest, and the whole kitchen smelt absolutely wonderful when this was baking in the oven.

 

Although this is a healthy low-sugar cake, the kids loved it a lot. It is a dense cake, but with a moist texture. Great with a cuppa coffee or tea. :)

A big thumbs up from Baby C

Healthy Olive Oil, Fruit & Nut Cake
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from Cook's Library Baking 
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40-45 minutes
Serves 8


Ingredients
225g self raising flour
50g caster sugar
125ml milk
4 tbsp orange juice
Zest of 1/2 orange
150ml extra virgin olive oil
100g mixed dried fruit
25g pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (no fan). Grease and line a 18cm/7 inch cake tin with baking paper.

2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the caster sugar. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk and orange juice. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon, gradually beating in the flour and sugar.

3. Pour in the olive oil, stirring well so that the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Stir in the mixed dried fruit and pine nuts into the mixture and pour the batter into the prepared cake tin. Smooth the surface with the spoon.

Our cake is ready for the oven

4. Place into preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is golden and firm to the touch.

5. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Note: For the mixed dried fruit, I used a mix of dried cranberries, raisins and apricots. If you do not have pine nuts, you can replace with almond slivers. Your child can help with Step 2-3 of the recipe.

Enjoying her cake with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice :)

I am linking this to the Little Thumbs up "Orange" event organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My Little Favourite DIY, hosted by Ann from Anncoo Journal. You can link your posts here.


I am submitting this to Cook-Your-Books #11 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours .
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