Staff reporter Shreya Agrawal, shares how to bake cranberry orange mini cakes, a comforting dessert that pairs perfectly with the flavors of fall.

Cranberry orange mini cakes

Shreya Agrawal, Staff Reporter

Singing the flavors of fall, this comforting dessert is the perfect treat for a chilly day. It’s easy to make, satisfying, and warms you up within minutes. Enjoy with coconut sugar glaze and a warm cup of herbal tea.

Ingredients:

Wet ingredients

⅙ cup applesauce

⅙ cup melted coconut oil

⅓ cup orange juice

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 chia eggs (basic recipe in the link)

Dry ingredients

1 Simple Mills Vanilla Cake Mix

¼ cup cranberries (To fold in at the end)

Optional Glaze:

½ cup of powdered coconut sugar (I powdered it in my blender)

1 tsp to 1 tbsp orange juice (or more as desired)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.
Whisk 3 tbsp ground chia seeds together with ¾ cup of water. Let the “egg” rest for 5 minutes so it can gel properly.
Meanwhile, combine the other wet ingredients using an immersion blender (or an electric mixer) until oil bubbles rise to the top and/or the ingredients become frothy
Once the chia egg is ready, add it to the other wet ingredients and whisk to combine.
Pour the Cake mix into the wet ingredients and whisk to combine (I used an electric whisk but you can use a manual one)
Gently fold in the cranberries using a spatula
Pour the mixture into parchment lined cake pans and place it in the oven (I used 3 4 inch round pans)
Let the cakes bake at 325 degrees fahrenheit and for about 25-27 minutes (If you are using a single cake pan, it will take longer to cook)
You can check if it is done using a toothpick and if the toothpick doesn’t come out clean, you can bake it for 5-10 minutes
As soon as it is ready, immediately flip it onto a cooling rack.
If desired, you can make the orange glaze by mixing the orange juice and powdered coconut sugar until smooth.
Enjoy with a hot cup of herbal tea.

Tips and Tricks:

Feel free to add 1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest for a punch of flavor
Whisk the wet ingredients until the oil is well distributed.
Fully line the cake pan with parchment to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.