Blood Orange, Cake olive Oil, Rosewater and Almonds
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
Ingredients
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
- Set the oven to 180 C / 350 F Line a 24 cm / 10 in tin with baking paper and grease well
- Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl and mix together with a fork or whisk, set aside
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pour the batter in to the tin and put into the on the middle shelf.
- 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
- Leave to cool while you prepare the syrup.
To make the Syrup
- 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)
- 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
- 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
- Serve this cake warm with custard. It warms beautifully in the microwave
- ** You can glaze it again before serving to make a lovely glossy thick covering
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
If your oranges are extra sweet like mine were add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the orange syrup along with the rosewater