These tasty little cakes are soft and moist on the inside and full of orange and almond flavor. They have no processed sugar or artificial sweeteners and rely on pitted dates and orange juice for their sweetness. If you're diabetic or want to "eat healthy" the little cakes are nicely balanced with a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, so they are less likely than many treats to cause blood sugar spikes (when eaten in moderation, of course!). You can make the cakes in the food processor in minutes, and they air fry in about 25 minutes (or bake in about 30). The not-too-sweet cakes are great alongside fruit or with a cup of tea or coffee. They also make a nice and more nutritious breakfast alternative to the usual sugary muffins or sweet rolls. Enjoy!
Low-Sugar Orange-Almond Cakes (Diabetic Friendly) -- Makes 12
1 1/2 cups of oats (quick or old fashioned)
1 cup of pitted dates
1 cup of whole almonds (with skins is fine)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 teaspoon of grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Dried cranberries or raisins, optional
Spritz 12 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray and set them aside. To the bowl of a food processor, add the oats and pulse/process them until they are finely ground. Add the dates and pulse them into the oats until they are completely incorporated. You will still see some flecks of brown, and that's okay. Add the almonds and pulse them into the mixture until mostly ground and incorporated. Add the eggs, ricotta, oil, orange juice, orange zest, almond extract, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the mixture in the food processor and pulse them into the mixture until completely incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. If you'd like, top the batter in each cup with a dried cranberry or raisin.
Air Fryer: Air fry the cakes at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a pick inserted in a cake comes out with no wet batter attached. Let the cakes cool in their cups for a few minutes before removing them to cool completely.
Oven: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake the cakes for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and a pick inserted in a cake comes out with no wet batter attached. Let the cakes cool in their cups for a few minutes before removing them to cool completely.
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