Spanish Almond and Whole Orange Cake

This is a beautiful Mediterranean cake that uses whole oranges, including the peel. Almond and orange is one of the best flavour combinations and this cake delivers sweetness, a zesty tang and a satisfying moistness. It is super easy to make and contains no flour, using ground almonds instead. Naturally gluten and wheat free; you are sure to impress when you serve this cake to friends and family.

Ingredients

2 oranges - around 275g in total - peel scrubbed and cut up roughly with skin on
5 free range eggs - separated
200g golden caster sugar
225g ground almonds
3 tbsp flaked almonds
Icing sugar - to decorate

Information

Serves: 10

Diet: Gluten and Wheat Free

Cuisine: Spanish

Type: Treats

Method

Prep time: 60 mins Cook time: 60 mins

Chop the oranges, including the skin and discard any pips. Place these in a small saucepan and add 1 tbsp water. Cover and cook very gently for half an hour or until the oranges are soft and majority of the liquid has evaporated. Allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180° C, 350° F, Gas mark 4. Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper. In a food processor or blender, finely chop the cooked oranges. In a large bowl, place the egg whites and whisk until they form stiff peaks – I use an electric hand whisk. Gradually whisk in half the caster sugar and then whisk for a further minute. Next whisk the egg yolks along with the remaining caster sugar in a separate bowl for 2–3 minutes until pale and thick. Whisk in the finely chopped oranges and then fold in the ground almonds very carefully. Add 3 spoonfuls of the whisked egg white to loosen the mixture, using a large metal spoon and then carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites. Gently pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.

Bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Check it after 30 minutes and if it looks like it is browning too quickly, cover the top with a piece of foil. Allow the cake to cool in the tin, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Peel away the greaseproof paper and transfer to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar before serving. The cake can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

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