Monday, July 20, 2009

Sweet Melissa -- Whole Orange Hemp-Poppy Seed Cake/Bread



I'm still struggling with back problems so I've not been cooking or baking much; we are pretty much existing on cereal, peanut butter and jelly, and take-out veggie burritos. I'm seeing the specialist today and having some tests done, so hopefully I'll be on the road to recovery soon!

I decided to make this orange cake as it is such a simple recipe and does not require much standing-in-the-kitchen time. I love this cake! It's full of orange flavor since the whole orange--peel and all is used, and it's not very sweet. It's perfect for breakfast or brunch. The recipe calls for a glaze, but I left that off as the cake tasted so good plain. I think the glaze will help keep the cake moist, so if you're worried about a dry cake I would make the glaze.

I added the poppy seeds since I love them, but I also added some hemp seeds. Hemp seeds are really tasty--they remind me of raw sunflower seeds, and are full of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, so they are healthy little seeds. I sprinkle them on cereal, and put them in salads; and I even eat them just plain.

Just a quick post today as I have to get to the doctor... I have a few things to post that I've cooked in the last few weeks and I'll try to get to some of them tonight.


To get the recipe for this yummy cake, please see the adorable blog, Lulu Bakes.
http://luluthebaker.blogspot.com/2009/07/sweet-melissa-sundays-whole-orange.html

You can find all of the Sweet Melissa bakers here:
http://sweetmelissasundays.wordpress.com/bakers/

After having baked from this book for several months, I have to say that this is now one of my new favorite cookbooks. The recipes are all very straightforward and very accessible to the home cook--no weird ingredients. Here is the amazon link if you're interested in buying the book. Bonus--it's under $18. http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Melissa-Baking-Book-Everyones/dp/0670018740/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248122761&sr=8-1

16 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear that you are not doing well. Good luck at the doctor!

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  2. I wish you luck with your back!

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  3. Feel better - and I have to tell you, subsisting on pb & j sounds pretty good to me!

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  4. Ooh... i hope your back starts to feel better. Your cake looks delicious. I like the addition of hemp seeds.

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  5. This looks (and sounds!) delicious. I hope you're able to get some relief for your back!!

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  6. This is the first time I've stopped by since you remodeled; the blog looks great and so does your cake! I love sunflower seeds, so I'll have to try hemp seeds sometime. I hope everything went well at the doctor and that you're feeling better soon.

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  7. Michele, So glad to hear from you.

    This looks yum. I want some with a cup of tea, yes a cup of tea!

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  8. i'm sooo sorry your back is giving you trouble--that's the worst! kudos to you for still managing to make a stellar and unique cake!

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  9. Oh no... I hope your back feels better ASAP!

    Your cake/bread looks yummy!

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  10. Oh, I like the sound of that orange-poppy seed cake, Michele; I have seen it on other blogs, but I like your addition of the hemp seeds for a little nutrition boost.
    I hope you are back on your feet, soon, and all goes well at the doctor's.
    Take care! :-)

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  11. I hope you feel better soon! Thanks for baking with me this week!

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  12. Your cake looks great! This is one of my favorites too.

    Feel better!

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  13. Thank you for the lovely comments!

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  14. Hope your doctor's appointment went well and that you're feeling better! Your cake looks terrific! I've never heard of hemp seeds but now I'm intrigued!

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  15. Sorry to hear about your back problems, hope you get better soon.

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  16. Thank you! After a hospital stay I think I'm finally feeling better.

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