This recipe for orange walnut ginger loaf first appeared over on Savour.ie

Orange Walnut Ginger Loaf

In typical Irish fashion, the summer arrived with bursts of glorious weather, alternating with the usual showers! This Orange, Walnut and Ginger loaf can help to brighten up even the dullest of days.

This orange walnut ginger loaf cake is gluten free, dairy free and free from refined sugars, relying simply on the juicy oranges and a couple of tablespoons of Maple Syrup to give it it’s sweetness.

A little trick I’ve picked up along the way is to replace some of the eggs in a recipe with chia seeds. These little babies are full of Omega-3 fats as are the walnuts. I know I’d rather eat this cake than pop some pills to get my daily dose!

If you can’t get your hands on the milled chia that this recipe calls for, you can use a blender (or a coffee grinder) to mill the whole seeds. A bag of these seeds may seem pricey initially but they are well worth it, a bag should last you months, even if you pop them in everything as I do. They are a great addition to smoothies, porridge, even soups and stews if you want a thickening agent that’s coeliac/gluten free friendly.

This loaf uses a favourite flour mix of mine, almond and coconut flours together are a great gluten free option. It results in a denser, heavier texture than you’d get with a wheat flour cake but it’s a perfect option to have with your morning cuppa. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Can be frozen in slices and defrosted when needed.

Ingredients for Orange Walnut Ginger Loaf

2 Oranges
2 Tbsp Milled Chia Seeds
3 Medium Eggs
1 Level Tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 Heaped Tsp Gluten Free Baking Powder
½ Cup Almond Flour
¼ Cup Coconut Flour
1 Cup Walnuts, Roughly Chopped

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 170C (fan), grease and line a 1lb loaf tin.

2. Firstly peel your oranges and using a blender or a food processor whizz up the whole peeled fruit. You should have about 200ml of liquid, add your milled chia seeds to this and leave aside. The chia will suck up all the liquid and leave you with a gloopy mix, a perfect egg substitute.

3. Using a food mixer (or by hand if you’re feeling strong!) beat your eggs until they are frothy and airy. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the mix – the orange/chia mix, the maple syrup, the chopped ginger and mix until they are well combined.

4. Add the flour, both coconut and almond and the baking powder. Mix thoroughly.

5. Now fold in the chopped walnuts and pour your mix into the prepared tin.

6. Pop in the oven for about 1 hour, until the top is springy to the touch. You can check that it’s done using a metal skewer, it should come out clean. Once done, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin before serving with a cup of your favourite brew!