Homemade baking infused with the aroma of summer always brings a special warmth to the house, and this orange and strawberry fruit cake is no exception. The citrusy notes of orange juice and zest paired with juicy berries create a vibrant flavor contrast, enhanced by the use of vegetable oil—which is exactly what makes the crumb so incredibly moist and tender. Interestingly, using canola oil allows the cake to stay fresh for up to a week if wrapped tightly in parchment. For the best results, choose firm, slightly underripe strawberries: they will hold their shape and texture during baking, mimicking the consistency of ripe apricot pieces.
An appetizing slice of fruit cake: moist texture, bright orange aroma, and juicy strawberries.
Ingredients
- 150 g fresh strawberries
- zest of 1 orange
- 50 g orange juice
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1 whole egg
- 100 ml refined canola oil
- 220 g cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- powdered sugar
How to make orange and strawberry fruit cake
Pour the granulated sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the egg whites and crack in the whole egg. You can use only whole eggs if you prefer—you will need 3 large eggs (about 180 g without the shells). If you have leftover egg whites from other recipes, this is a great way to use them up alongside whole eggs in any bake.
Start by combining the eggs (or egg whites) and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl.
Whisk the eggs and sugar for a few minutes until the sugar crystals completely dissolve. This will take no more than 5 minutes.
Whisk the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved to create a fluffy cake base.
Pour in the orange juice and refined canola oil. Any neutral vegetable oil will work perfectly. Wash the orange thoroughly and scald it with boiling water. Finely grate the zest and add it to the bowl. Beat these wet ingredients on high speed for 5 minutes. At this stage, the mixture will resemble a smooth cream.
Add the juice, oil, and orange zest. The thoroughly beaten mixture should resemble a smooth cream.
Whisk together the cake flour and baking powder. Sift the dry mixture directly into the bowl.
Sift the flour and baking powder directly into the bowl to aerate the batter.
Fold the batter gently with a spatula or mix using a paddle attachment. Wash the fresh strawberries and pat them dry with paper towels. Quarter the large berries and halve the small ones. Gently drop the chopped strawberries into the batter.
Quarter the large strawberries and add them to the batter—the berries will make the cake incredibly juicy.
Fold the berries into the batter carefully. By the way, the ripeness of the strawberries does not matter too much, though slightly underripe ones are actually better here. A firm, slightly underripe berry will behave like an apricot in the cake, whereas overripe, soft berries might break down, though their wonderful aroma and flavor will remain. Essentially, use whatever you have on hand.
Gently fold the batter with a spatula to evenly distribute the strawberry pieces.
Grease a piece of parchment paper with canola oil. Line your baking pan with the paper and pour in the batter. I baked this strawberry cake in a bread maker, but it bakes beautifully in a conventional oven as well.
Pour the batter into a parchment-lined pan. This cake bakes perfectly in both an oven and a bread maker.
If using an oven, bake at 170°C (340°F) for 50 minutes (using a 20-23 cm / 8-9 inch pan). If using a bread maker, select the Bake setting and set the time to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
The cake is ready! It has developed a beautiful golden color and a wonderful aroma.
Remove the fruit cake from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool completely.
Remove the cake along with the parchment and let it cool slightly before the final decoration.
Dust the surface evenly with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh sieve.
Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust the surface of the cake with an even layer of powdered sugar.
This orange and strawberry fruit cake turns out incredibly aromatic and moist. Thanks to the canola oil, it will not dry out for several days, tasting just as fresh as if it came straight from the oven.
The finished orange and strawberry fruit cake looks wonderfully homemade and cozy.
Serve this orange and strawberry fruit cake completely cooled, allowing all the flavors to fully meld together. A cloud of whipped cream makes the perfect accompaniment: simply whip cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and a pinch of vanilla until stiff peaks form. If you want to add an elegant touch, garnish the plate with fresh mint leaves or drizzle a slice with a little berry syrup. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature to keep the crumb from drying out. Should you feel like experimenting, try swapping the strawberries for raspberries or blackberries—the orange-infused batter pairs beautifully with almost any seasonal berry. To make the powdered sugar on top look absolutely flawless, dust the cake through a fine sieve right before serving to create a light, snowy texture.
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