And yes, this super easy and scrumptious cake can be made non-fat and vegan too!


It was my turn to host the book club this week. As I was planning the menu with the favorites like ‘Indian Noodles’ for the book club, Grilled Corn Bhel Salad, Fiesta Samosas and Oh My! The Ambrosial Mango Pie, I was thinking of one of our friends in the club, who adheres to a gluten free diet.
Blood oranges are in season so I decided to make an eggless, gluten free, low-fat cake using the pretty oranges. I used butter only to grease the parchment paper lining the pan so it could be peeled off easily. There is no butter in the batter. So this cake could be made fat free and also vegan if you use almond milk or coconut milk.
I feared that the cake would be dry but was very happy with my experiment as the cake turned out to be moist and delicious. Check out the close up photo here!

I will be making this cake again with other seasonal fruit too. Like my kids always tease me, once I discover a good recipe, I run wild with it 🙂
Eggless, Gluten Free, Blood Orange Cake
Ingredients-
- 1 cup idli rawa (cream of parboiled rice)
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk. I used 1 percent milk. Almond/coconut milk can be used too.
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 blood orange, sliced thin
- 3/8 cup granulated sugar for a moderately sweet cake
- A pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla or orange essence
- 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon apricot preserves, thinned by warming
To make the Eggless, Gluten Free Blood Orange Cake-
- In a bowl, combine the idli rawa, milk and applesauce. Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line a spring form pan with parchment paper. Spritzing the pan with melted butter or oil helps keep the parchment in place. Spritz top of parchment the same way.
- Arrange the blood orange slices on the parchment paper.
- To the combined rawa mixture, add the sugar, salt, essence, cardamom powder. Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the baking soda, mix well and pour batter in the spring form pan on top of the blood oranges.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Remove cake from pan and invert on to a plate. Remove the spring form pan base and parchment paper from cake.
- Brush the top with the thinned apricot preserves, slice and serve!
Enjoy the spring weekend! I am taking my cake and joining Angie’s Fiesta Friday which is co-hosted by Jhuls@The Not So Creative Cook this week
Love,
<3
Sandhya
Reblogged this on #THEGUYWHOSAIDALWAYSNO.
Thanks so much! Truly appreciate it!
I had to, it’s so beautiful <3
wow this looks sooo good!!!
Thanks so much!
Can’t wait to try this! Found 6 beautiful blood oranges in a markdown package at our supermarket. Grabbed those babies quick! Thank you, thank you!
Great! Do let me know how you like the cake!
Very interesting recipe, Sandhya! The cake looks so good and moist 🙂
Thanks so much Freda! Have a great weekend!
You too 🙂
Cake made of rice (idli rava), quite innovative! Looks delicious too!!
Thanks so much!
Gluten free and eggless? Wow! That sounds great! I love that coconut milk or almond milk can be used, too. I just love everything about this cake. I need a slice or two right now to accompany my tea. 😀 Thanks for sharing at FF table this week. 🙂
Thanks for hosting FF and for your kind comments, Jhuls.
This good so delicious Sandhya, can’t believe it’s gluten free. Lovely 🙂
Thanks so much Zeba!
Was looking up how to make Ildi Rava and it says it must not be long grain
All I have is Jasmine. The is the wrong kind? Please tell me what type to buy. Thank you.
Kim,
Idli rava is available in Indian grocery stores. It is cream of parboiled rice.
If you want to use the Jasmine rice, wash, drain and let it dry. Then grind it to a coarse powder.
Hope that helps.
This recipe is a revelation, absolutely delicious and so moist looking. I love it.
Thanks so much Myra!
I’ve never tried Idli rava Sandhya. Is that the one used to make idlis? If so, I must rush out and buy it and perhaps make that a substitution for some of the cakes I make? I like that it is gluten-free and real hard to believe it is eggless too. Blood oranges make such a statement don’t they? Love them. It turned out beautiful and I’m sure your gluten-free guest and all the other book club ladies really appreciated it. Well done!
Thanks Loretta. Yes idli rawa is used to make idlis.Yes my friend was so happy that I had gluten free options for her.
I know what you mean about blood oranges making a statement! As soon as I got them, the wheels started turning in my head 🙂
Beautiful cake and it sounds so yummy!
Thank you for the recipe! I would love to try this someday. Sounds delicious!
Thanks Indah!
Congratulations on your 300th post Indah! I loved your post but could not comment on it- did not see the comment section on that post. Looking forward to many more of your amazing posts!
Looks very tasty!
Thanks so much Saira!
You actually make it appear really easy along with your presentation however I
to find this topic to be actually something which
I think I would by no means understand. It seems too complicated and extremely huge for me.
I’m having a look forward in your subsequent publish, I’ll attempt to get the
grasp of it!
fodboldtrøjer børn
Thanks for your comment. It is really very easy.
fodboldtrøjer børn I loved your post but could not comment on it- did not see the comment section on that post.
Thanks for letting me know. I will check on that. Thanks so much for your kind words, Mary.
Mary, it looks like we have to check the settings. I loved your post on the candy making book but could not comment on it either.
What a fun book!
fodboldtrøjer børn Mary, it looks like we have to check the settings.
Very nice ….👍👌👌👌
Thanks so much!
fodboldtrøjer børn fodboldtrøjer børn Mary, it looks like we have to check the settings.
fodboldtrøjer børn fodboldtrøjer børn I loved your post but could not comment on it- did not see the comment section on that post.
Thanks so much for letting me know. I will check that.
Also thank you for your kind words about the post.
fodboldtrøjer børn
Also thank you for your kind words about the post.
fodboldtrøjer børn fodboldtrøjer børn
Also thank you for your kind words about the post.
Sandhya such a beautiful looking cake. Two questions : what can I use if I don’t get idli rawa and when you bake the orange slices with the peel, does it taste bitter?
Thanks so much Mayuri. Idli rawa is made from the parboiled rice available in Indian stores. If you don’t find the rawa, you can grind some parboiled rice. The orange rind did not taste bitter at all. It gave it a nice flavor indeed like it was candied.
Thanks so much for sharing my post.