Blood Orange Cake with Olive Oil, Rosewater and Almonds

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A beautiful Warm Blood Orange cake, Olive oil and Rosewater make it extra special. Plus…it’s easier than you think

I am back with this Blood Orange Cake Olive Oil, Rosewater and Almonds. It got me back into the kitchen in a beautifully colourful way after 10 days in Taiwan.  I can’t wait to show you some of the exciting things I saw and ahem…  ate…..really. I started off with a little story about Taiwans famous tea earlier in the week. Are you a fan of Oolong Tea?

Anyway back to the colour of this cake, it makes me seriously happy.  Blood oranges just seem to have become a bit of an obsession since I tried them at Lucios.  I arrived home to a box of blood oranges delivered to me from Redbelly Citrus. I think this happened in part because I bombarded them with love. One night, after I muddled up the flesh of the last blood orange in my fruit bowl, some basil and a slug of Salerno, I told them I would never be able to live with out blood oranges again. I am not sure if this box of oranges was given to me through pity. Skater, my son is a non fruit eater and he wondered aloud what on earth I would do with a whole box.

He needn’t have worried, because it’s been easy. I have spread the love I felt to all, and each and every person that has had that beautiful red juice drip down their chin has thanked me.

I have had to give the red beauties another little nudge with the Salerno, just to make sure they go with everything. The season will end soon and I want to etch the flavours in my mind. The combination is good AND I can assure you the juice of these blood oranges is just as good with Prosecco. Don’t worry about me though, because it hasn’t all been about the drinks. I have also introduced the juice to Duck, Pork also a Blood Orange Brownie Cheesecake, some quick Blood Orange Marmalade and a glass at breakfast where I drank the juice with out any other addition.

There.

Now back to the happy blood red cake, (Blood Orange Cake  with Olive Oil ),  it’s an easy one. It is ever so good warm with custard. That was my favourite way to eat it BUT out of the three times I made it last week, most were eaten cold by people who told me it was just perfect without the custard too. It really does stand up well to time as well. It still tasted fresh and lovely after three days in an airtight container on the bench. I hasten to add that it is not summer but the temperatures here are around 19 C.

Make Your Own Blood Orange Cake with Olive Oil

It is extremely simple to dress this cake to the nines as you can see. I just added pan toasted nuts, basil leaves and lots of syrup. You will also see a few organic rose petals on there. I couldn’t resist these because the colour was just so similar. Of course if you can’t find blood oranges (sad 🙁 then you can use mandarins or ordinary oranges.

Blood Orange, Cake olive Oil, Rosewater and Almonds

Print Recipe

A cake that makes a delicious dessert warm with custard. I have made it with Blood Oranges but you can make it just as easily with Mandarins or Oranges * Cup measurements are Australian standard

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Course Dessert

Servings 12

Ingredients

Unit:MetricUS Imperial

20 cm / 8 inch round springform tin sprayed with the bottom lined. Oven temperature 180C / 350F

• 225 gm plain flour 1 1/2 cups
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 220 gm cater sugar (1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flaked
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 whole Blood Oranges you'll need the zest and the flesh
• 3 whole eggs 70 gm
• 180 ml olive oil 3/4 cup
• 60 ml milk 1/4 cup

For the Orange Syrup

• 250 ml blood orange juice (1 cup blood orange juice - about two oranges
• 250 gm caster sugar 1 cup
• 20 ml Rose Water 1 Tabsp

• 150 gm almonds whole skin on
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 1 whole orange for garnish

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 180 C / 350 F Line a 24 cm / 10 in tin with baking paper and grease well
2. Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl and mix together with a fork or whisk, set aside
3. Zest the three oranges leaving the flesh aside for a minute. Put the zest, fine sugar (1 cup), salt and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment and give it a good mix so that the oils come out of the zest flavouring the sugar.
4. Add the eggs and beat till nice and light. Next pour in the oil and continue beating till the mixture is light and thick (about 8 minutes). This makes an airy base for the cake.
5. Take the bowl off the mixer and add add the milk and flour mix and fold through till combined. Leave this to rest while you continue.
6. Cut all of the pith (white) off the 3 zested oranges and cut into thick rounds. You should get about 4 from each orange cutting around the equator. Put the rounds into the base of the lined tin until the bottom is covered. Don't overlap them.
7. Pour the batter in to the tin and put into the on the middle shelf.
8. Bake for 40 minutes, then cover with a piece of foil and cook another 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
9. Leave to cool while you prepare the syrup.

To make the Syrup

1. Put the second cup of sugar (1) and the 1 cup of juice into a saucepan and bring to the boil stirring occasionally. Let it simmer until the juice is glossy and has reduced by 3/4 or up to 1/2 but no more, leaving a nice thick syrup. ( I like my syrup nice and thick so it sticks to the top)Add the rosewater and stir well. ( you can add the lemon here too if using)
2. When the cake has sat for around 10 minutes in the tin, turn the cake out onto a rack and glaze generously with the syrup using a pastry brush
3. Decorate with Almonds, rose petals and the extra orange cut into rounds.

To make Almonds: heat a large frypan or skillet on high. Once hot add the whole almonds. Toss and stir while they heat. When you hear them start to crackle sprinkle over the teaspoons of sugar and toss quickly. The sugar will caramelise while you toss. Turn off the stove top and pour them into a bowl to cool

1. Serve this cake warm with custard. It warms beautifully in the microwave
2. ** You can glaze it again before serving to make a lovely glossy thick covering

Recipe Notes

Save the extra syrup to serve with the cake or glaze again later if some of the syrup has soaked in.
If your oranges are extra sweet like mine were add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the orange syrup along with the rosewater

 

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