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Cranberry Orange Kefir Cake

Healthy Cranberry Orange Kefir Cake

Feel free to add up to one cup of chopped toasted walnuts or pecans to this cake. If you don't have kefir, you can substitute buttermilk. If you don't have whole wheat pastry flour, use 2 cups of all-purpose flour. This cake freezes beautifully. Defrost and glaze before serving.
Servings 8
Author Turnip the Oven

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly grated zest from one orange plus 2 tablespoons juice
  • 3/4 cup kefir
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 stick, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze

  • 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment. Dust the sides with flour and tap out the excess.
  2. Pulse the cranberries in the food processor until they are coarsely chopped. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk the orange juice, kefir, butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until blended (don't over-mix). Fold in the cranberries.
  5. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn it out and cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. To make the glaze, combine the confectioner's sugar, orange juice, and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Place the cake, still on the cooling rack, over a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let stand until hardened, about 30 minutes.