My Yummy Orange Almond Cake Recipe!

(c) 2012

Allergy Info: Gluten-Free; Includes Nuts & Fruits.

You Will Need:

480g Oranges (two navel oranges approximately)
220g Caster Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
6 large eggs
250g Almond Meal

Serves 10

Method:
Place whole unpeeled oranges in saucepan. Cover with water. Boil with the lid on for 30 minutes. Drain the liquid, fill with fresh water and boil for 1 hour. Trim the green ends, cut the oranges into quarters and check for pips. Place oranges into a food processor and pulverise them to a pulp. Leave to cool to room temperature.

Line a 22cm round springform cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 180 Celsius, or 160c if fan forced.

Beat eggs (split the eggs into yolks & whites. Beat whites separately until fluffy, then add yolks to give it a lighter, airier feel) and sugar with electric mixer on high speed until fluffy and pale, which should take about 5 minutes (stop before ribbons form). Beat in the baking powder.

Sift the almond meal to get rid of lumps. Fold in the almond meal and orange pulp.

Pour into tin and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a skewer into the centre comes out clean. For me, at 30 minutes the top was getting nice and brown, so I covered it with aluminium foil to minimise burning. At 45 minutes, mine was shrinking away from the sides of the tin and passed the skewer test. Watch the baking time carefully. Other bakers have reported variable baking times, ranging from 45-60 minutes. Check by inserting a skewer into the cake & when it comes out clean, it's done!

Allow cake to cool upright in the pan. Do not attempt to turn out (otherwise your cake will fall apart).

When cool, dust the top with icing sugar if desired. Dust icing sugar on the top before serving, if not serving immediately after making it. If you dust it in advance, the cake will absorb the icing sugar.

Note: This cake tastes best fresh from the oven. If you are keeping it for a few days, place in an airtight container or put on a plate & wrap tightly with cling wrap to preseve moistness.

Cake Mistress' TIPS:

• Use quality oranges. If they’re bitter, the cake will be bitter.
• NO shortcuts on the boiling oranges step! Boiling reduces the bitterness of the orange pith and softens the rind. Failing to do so will result in a bitter chunky cake, which is nasty ‘yo.
• Navel oranges don’t have pips, but other varieties do. Once boiled cut them open, check for pips and remove them!

*The above has been adapted from The Cake Mistress