by Vanessa Gordon
ingredients
2 whole oranges
250grams caster sugar
250grams almond meal
5 large eggs
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
To serve:
80grams flaked almonds
2 tbsp orange marmalade
icing sugar to dust
method
In a medium-sized saucepan, cover the oranges with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 2 hours. Check in the oranges a few times and top up the water if it evaporates too much. Once the two hours are up, take the oranges out of the water and blitz in a heat-proof food-processor. Transfer the puree to a bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 190℃ / 170℃ fan-forced. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
In a large mixing bowl combine eggs and caster sugar and whisk by hand until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Next, whisk in the orange puree followed by the almond meal, baking powder and baking soda.
Pour the batter gently into the prepared cake tin.
Bake for 65 - 75 minutes, until a cake skewer from the centre comes out clean.
Toast flaked almonds in a dry non-stick pan for 2 minutes until they are a lovely golden colour, continually swirling and tossing them around in the pan. Don't take your eyes off them for a single second, that's all it takes for them to turn from golden to burnt. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Allow the cake to cool before removing from the tin. Invert onto a serving plate, brush with warmed marmalade and top with toasted almonds and a generous dusting of icing sugar.
Note: If you don't have time to make the orange puree a day ahead, refrigerate for at least one hour until it's cold as you don’t want to add the hot puree to curdle the eggs. Use the best oranges you can find, organic or homegrown is best.
