Week 7 - Whole Oranges & Almond Cake

This was an interesting cake to make, I’ve never made a mix in a food processor before. It was dead easy to make though! I followed the recipe exactly with this one, and there were no issues at all. It was a really good cake, very moist with great flavor. The texture was a little strange but considering it was made with almond meal and not flour, its not surprising. It is not a sweet cake, it has a little bitterness to the taste and we tried drizzling on some Grand Marnier with great success.

When I make this again, the changes I would make would be I would toast the sliced almonds before sprinkling them on top for extra texture. I would also serve the cake with a dollop of whipped cream with Grand Marnier.

Everyone was really happy with this cake and I will definitely be making this again!

Final Rating: 8.5 / 10

Ingredients

2 medium oranges
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
3 cups almond meal
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
A handful of sliced almonds

Put the oranges in a medium pan, then cover with water and a lid. Bring to a simmer, then boil for 2 hours, turning the oranges over halfway through. Add more water if needed.

Grease a 9-inch round springform pan with a little oil, then line with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Drain the oranges, and when cool enough to handle, cut into large pieces and remove any pips. Put them, skin and all, in a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse to a smooth purée.

Add the eggs to the processor, then whizz for about 1 minute until paler and thickened. Pour in the almond meal, baking powder, salt, and oil, and process for a few seconds until smooth. Using a spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, then scatter with the sliced almonds.

Bake for 50 min, or until the cake is golden all over and has risen all the way to the centre. Remove and let cool in pan for 10 min before removing the springform pan.