This vegan Turmeric -Orange Cake is a fall sensation, that makes an elegant grand finale to a celebratory fall diner or a tea/coffee cake in a chilly afternoon.

What is Turmeric-Orange Cake?

This mini Turmeric-Orange cake is a worthy showstopper laden with fall scents and flavor notes. The cake has vibrant fall hues that range from vibrant yellow to orange mid-tones.

The citrusy orange hint melds so well with the warm notes of cloves and cinnamon, a familiar combination of flavors that is reminiscent of fall celebrations.

The crumbly semolina texture is playful and moist, and the glaze lends the cake a pretty shine while keeping it moist. Needless to say, the addition of crisp praline shards lends the cake a superior crunch.

In other words, The enticing glaze shine and esthetic praline random shapes makes this cake simply stunning.

The idea of this cake drives from Sfouf, which is a traditional Lebanese turmeric-anise-scented cake, cut in diamonds and served with a cup of coffee or mint tea.

I wasn’t familiar with this cake up until I saw Sfouf cake mix on the shelves of my neighborhood Middle Eastern store. I was curious to try it. Admittedly, I am a big fan of cake mixes and cooking shortcuts in general.

“We nowadays are under the pressure to do everything from scratch, yet who has the time.”, a loyal follow to my IG page once commented.

I can’t agree more, during hectic holidays seasons, shortcuts legitimate and necessary most of the time.

To prove my poin, I created this cake out of a Sfouf cake mix, which is available online and in any Middle eastern Stores across the globe.

The first time I baked this Sfouf cake mix as is, I envisioned the potential of spinning it into a delectable  dessert!

Luckily, I found the perfect context to test my new vegan dessert which was a seated vegan dinner at my place. My eclectic guests went banana over the cake, so it became a fall staple.

Upgrade a mundane cake mix to a showstopper 

Using a cake mix doesn’t mean that you are settling for average.

On the contrary, cake mix is a white canvas that you can bring to life through adding flavorful and ingredients.

To elevate the cake mix, I added a teaspoon of turmeric, the zest of one orange and a dash of ground cinnamon and cloves.

Instead of using the traditional rectangular mold to bake the cake, I picked a silicone mold of mini bundt cakes, as I fancy individual desserts for seated dinners.

Individually-served  desserts do have an elegant appeal, that said, you can perfectly bake the same recipe in a ring cake mold.

While the cake was baking in the oven, I prepared a zesty fragrant syrup to drizzle it over the cake while it was still warm.

To gild the lily, I prepared some almond praline the day before and sprinkled it on the top of the cake. This last step is definitely optional. (check the recipe below).

There is nothing wrong about using a box of a cake mix! Conversely, it challenges our creativity and opens a whole lot of possibilities.

This Vegan turmeric cake is a light, easy fix, and a restaurant quality dessert that leaves a long-lasting impression on foodies, and no one can guess its cake mix origin.

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Vegan Turmeric Cake

Serves 10-12

TOOLS 

• Silicon or metal Individuals bundt cakes molds or 1 ring cake mold

INGREDIENTS

The Cake: 

• 1 Sfouf cake mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Zest of one orange

The Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• Orange rind (2″x 1″)
• 1 cinnamon stick

The Praline:

DIRECTIONS 

The Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F). Grease the bundt mold(s).
2. Empty the cake mix in a deep mixing bowl and follow the instructions on the box.  After adding the quantity of oil and water indicated, add the spices and the orange zest.
3. Beat the batter for 2 minutes until all ingredients are well incorporated.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the mini bundt molds. Or just pour it in if you are using a regular mold.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let the cake cool to room temperature and drizzle the warm syrup over it.

The Syrup

1. Add the sugar to the water in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously to dissolve the sugar.
2. Add the cinnamon stick and the orange rind when the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. Let the syrup boil for 5-7  minutes.
4. Let it cool down and drizzle it warm on the cake.

The Praline: 

1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.
2. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until mixture turns golden. Remove from heat. Set aside for 2 minutes to allow bubbles to subside.  Add almonds. Pour onto prepared tray. Allow to cool. Break praline into bites and shards.
3. Sprinkle praline on the cake right after drizzling the syrup so the praline sticks to the surface of the cake.

NOTES

1. Baking time could extend to 30 to 35 minutes if you use one big mold to bake the cake, instead of mini bundt cakes molds.