ORANGE FLAVOURED SPONGE CAKE [EGGLESS]

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year and this island is in a celebration mode which goes on for 15 days. It is defined to be the first day of the first month in the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese New Year is based on traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar whose date indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year.

Me too as if have become a part of the celebration. I love studying different cultures; observing their rituals, their traditions. I see them completely cleaning the house and decorating them. For them, it is the time for family reunion. People normally visit relatives and friends, watch traditional Chinese shows, of which Lion Dance I enjoy the most. They launch fireworks too, which is a beautiful thing to watch. The celebration sometimes highlight a religious ceremony performed in honour of heaven, earth, the family ancestors and other Gods.

Tangerines and Oranges are one of these auspicious Chinese New Year symbols. Tangerines in Chinese sounds similar to the word 'luck' and Orange sounds for the Chinese word for 'wealth'. So the Chinese associate the gift of Orange and Tangerine as having an abundance of happiness and prosperity. Gifting and buying them is perhaps an auspicious mean to bring in good luck and wealth.

Hence, I thought of sharing a recipe  today where oranges are used, my humble way to wish Chinese New Year to all. I prepared a simple orange sponge cake, a light fluffy eggless cake to be had with your favourite brand & flavour of tea, may be on the very first day of the Chinese New Year.

Sourced From : WIKI

Look, I like to have my cakes just this way, with sugar free, diary free tea or coffee!

INGREDIENTS :

All Purpose flour :  2 coffee mug
Baking Powder : 2 tsp
Baking Soda : 1 tsp
Oil / Butter : 1/2 medium tea cup[I used oil] 
Plain Yogurt : 5-6 tbsp
Orange Zest : 1tsp
Fresh Orange Juice : 11/2 coffee mug
Orange Food Colour : 2-3 drop[optional]
Vanilla Extract / Essence : 1tsp
Sugar[powdered] : 1 tsp to sprinkle on top[I did not]

METHOD :

I took the refined flour, baking powder and baking soda in a wide mouthed bowl. Mix well and then sieve. Keep aside.

Cristine juiced the oranges for me.

I took the orange juice, plain yogurt, oil, sugar, food colour in a blender and blended for a minute or two, pausing in between.

I dug up a well in the middle of the flour mix, added a little of the liquid mix at a time and had beaten well.

I added the vanilla essence and mixed well.

I forgot to add the orange zest along with the vanilla extract, so added it later after pouring the batter in aluminium foil tins and mixed well. Do not be forgetful like me.

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven. So I inserted the low height wired stool inside and preheated the oven at 180*C.

I had placed the aluminium foiled cake tin with batter on top of the wired stool.

I baked the cake at 180*C for 25 minutes.

I had inserted a toothpick in the middle to check if done or not. If done it will come out clean.

We will carefully take it out once cool or just have it warm.

We will enjoy it with our favourite brand of tea or coffee!