Pineapple Orange Layer Cake

Pineapple Orange Layer Cake

My love affair with fresh seasonal fruits continues. It's nearing end of the pineapple and orange season and I just had to try out this recipe I had stumbled upon last week. I have modified and simplified it and the result is just amazing. You can enjoy a yummy, super healthy, tangy-sweet, low-fat, nutritious cake. I baked two cakes. I left one as an orange coffee cake and used the frosting on the second one. You can see orange chunks in it. With the frosted one you will bite into chunks of fresh orange and pineapple. This cake is best had fresh. It's overflowing with the fresh juices of the fruits

Ingredients

Whole-wheat flour - 2 cups

Custard Powder – 1 tbsp

Baking powder - 2 tsp

Baking Soda - 1 tsp

Orange juice – ½ cup

Orange zest - 5 tbsp

Salt

Eggs - 3

Oil - 1 cup

Curd (strained) – ¼ cup

Jaggery – 1 ½ cups

Oranges (peeled) – 2

Method

Blend jaggery and oil together till smooth

Juice the oranges and keep aside the pulp

Add orange juice and the thick curd to the jaggery-oil mix

Beat eggs

Add to the jaggery-oil mixture

Sieve the dry ingredients and add gradually to the wet mix using cut and fold method

Chop the leftover orange pulp and add to the mix along with the orange zest

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C for about 20 mins

Cool

Filling and Frosting

Fresh Pineapple pieces (finely cut and crushed) – ½ cup

Cream Cheese

Ingredients

Low-fat paneer (from toned cow milk) - 100 gms (from 500 ml milk)

Milkmaid - 2 tbsp

Method

Whip together low-fat paneer and milkmaid to form cream cheese. Add pineapple pieces and mix slowly

Cut the cake horizontally into two parts

Spread the filling evenly

Place pineapple slices over it

Cover with the other piece

Spread the frosting evenly on top

Refrigerate it for about an hour

Enjoy

Refrigerate the remaining (if any)

Health Benefits of Pineapple

Bone strength

Contains nearly 75 percent of the daily-recommended value of the mineral manganese, which is essential in developing strong bones and connective tissue

Eye health

Can help reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a disease that affects the eyes as people age, due in part to its high amount of vitamin C and the antioxidants

Digestion

Contains dietary fiber, essential in improving bowel movements and keeping your intestines healthy

Contains significant amounts of bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein and helping digestion

Anticoagulant

Bromelain levels in pineapple help reduce excessive coagulation of the blood

Heart Health

Contains anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that helps reduce the risk of many diseases, like heart disease