Blood oranges are absolutely spectacular.

Glorious.

Beautiful.

Delicious.

Bright and bursting orange peels reveal and interior of brilliant scarlet sticky juice. blood.

The blood orange is a variety of orange (Citrus × sinensis) with crimson, almost-blood-colored flesh.

The fruit is roughly the same size as an average orange, but sometimes can be smaller or larger; its skin is usually pitted, but can be smooth. The distinctive dark flesh color is due to the presence of anthocyanins, a family of antioxidant pigments common to many flowers and fruit, but uncommon in citrus fruits. Chrysanthemin (cyanidin 3-O glucoside) is the main compound found in red oranges. The flesh develops its characteristic maroon color when the fruit develops with low temperatures during the night. Sometimes there is dark coloring on the exterior of the rind as well, depending on the variety of blood orange. The skin can be tougher and harder to peel than that of other oranges. Blood oranges have a unique flavor profile compared to other oranges, being distinctly raspberry-like in addition to the usual citrus notes.

You read that right ~ raspberry-like.

I’m sure your citrus craving lips and more than hungry mouths are watering.

 

Paper thin slices create a stained glass glisten atop this super creamy cake for one.

Just one…

…you can have your cake and eat it too.

Blood Orange Ricotta Cream Cake

2 Tbs. melted honey
1 pastured egg
1/4 cup raw honey
1 blood orange, halved and one half very thinly sliced 
2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2/3 cup raw almonds, blanched (skins removed) and coarsely processed into “meal”
1/4 tsp. vanilla salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 4-inch round spring form cake pan and line the bottom and sides with a parchment paper.

Pour the melted honey into the bottom of the prepared pan, followed by a few paper thin slices of the orange. Arrange as you desire. Set aside.

 

Combine the raw honey, 2 Tbs. juice of the remaining orange half, coconut oil, ricotta, blanched almond meal, vanilla salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Mix well.

Pour the batter over the orange slices in the spring form pan. Place atop another small pan and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn off the oven and allow the cake to continue to bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Cool for 5-10 minutes. Release the spring form and invert onto a serving plate.
Peel off the parchment and drizzle with any remaining blood orange juice before serving.

This cake is super moist. I mean SUPER moist, which means it’s quite delicate.

Exquisite.

Serve with an extra dollop of honey sweetened ricotta or whipped cream, if desired.