FOOD FRIDAY - ALMOND ORANGE CAKE

“Do you know the land where lemon trees are blooming,

Where in the dark foliage, the golden oranges glow?

A gentle wind blows from the blue sky,

The myrtle stands still and high is the laurel.

Do you know it? Go there! Go there!

May I go with you? O my beloved!” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

This is a cake we often have at home, especially if we are expecting company, or for special afternoon teas. It is quite simple to make and tastes lovely. We generally make our own almond meal, except when time does not permit, and we buy it from a very good nut shop in our neighbourhood where its freshness can assured. 

Almond and Orange Cake

Ingredients

2 medium thickness skin oranges (i.e. not too much pith)

1 tablespoon orange liqueur (e.g. Cointreau)

3 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup caster sugar, extra

300g almond meal

1 tsp baking powder

Orange flower water

Icing sugar

Seville orange marmalade (optional) 

Method

Preheat oven to 170° C and grease a 22cm round cake pan.

Take the whole oranges and carefully remove the zest superficially without damaging the integrity of the orange. Pat dry with a paper towel. Place whole zested oranges into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Drain. Repeat. Refresh under cold water and drain.

Coarsely chop warm oranges and remove and discard the coarse stem, membranes and pips. Place into food processor and process until smooth, adding the liqueur in the last few moments.

Using an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar until thick and creamy. Add processed orange mixture, almond meal and baking powder and gently fold until combined. Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour. Sprinkle with some orange flower water as soon as it is out of the oven and dust with icing sugar. Cool.

If desired, warm some marmalade and spoon over cake instead of the icing sugar.