It’s the citrus season and I’ve totally embraced it.
I have a couple of friends who can’t have gluten in their diets. So this is one of some awesome gluten-free recipes I have up my sleeve.
The almond cake can be made with any citrus, I’ve just chosen orange today. I love it topped with candied oranges, they make it really special. Use the candied orange recipe to make some candied citrus peel and use it in the Candied Orange Peel Shortbread recipe.
You can make the drizzle and candied oranges ahead of time, even a couple of days ahead. Then bake the cake and assemble when you need it.
Almond Cake:
4 eggs
zest of two oranges
100g castor sugar
170g ground almonds
5ml baking powder
3ml salt
Orange Drizzle:
80ml castor sugar
80ml Orange juice
Skin of one orange
Candied Oranges:
1 orange, thinly sliced
180ml water
375ml castor sugar
Almond Cake:
Preheat oven to 180ºC
Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
Whisk together the egg yolks, half the sugar and the zest.
Add baking powder, salt and almonds to the egg yolk mixture. Mix well.
Beat egg whites until stiff.
Add sugar and beat until stiff and glossy.
Loosen the egg yolks and almond with a third of the egg whites and then fold the two mixtures together.
Pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow cake to cool in the tin.
Orange Drizzle:
In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar and the orange juice.
Bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and place orange skins in the syrup . remove just before using.
Candied Oranges:
Place sliced orange into a medium sauce pan. Cover with water and bring to the boil.
Discard the water and repeat twice more. Remove the slices from the water.
In a medium sauce pan, place water and sugar. Over a medium heat, dissolve all the sugar before bringing the syrup to a boil.
Add orange slices and boil for about 30 minutes until the white is transparent.
Remove the oranges from the syrup and dry out on a wire cooling rack.
Dust in castor sugar if you wish.
(This is great to make candied citrus peel, just peel any citrus and cut the peel into slices before following the recipe.)
To finish the cake:
Turn the cake out onto a plate, place candied oranges onto the cake and drizzle with the syrup. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Keeps for a few days in an airtight container.
Really lovely with ice cream for a dessert.
Almond Cake:
- 4 eggs
- zest of two oranges
- 100g castor sugar
- 170g ground almonds
- 5ml baking powder
- 3ml salt
Orange Drizzle:
- 80ml castor sugar
- 80ml Orange juice
- Skin of one orange
Candied Oranges:
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 180ml water
- 375ml castor sugar
Almond Cake:
- Preheat oven to 180ºC
- Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
- Whisk together the egg yolks, half the sugar and the zest.
- Add baking powder, salt and almonds to the egg yolk mixture. Mix well.
- Beat egg whites until stiff.
- Add sugar and beat until stiff and glossy.
- Loosen the egg yolks and almond with a third of the egg whites and then fold the two mixtures together.
- Pour into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow cake to cool in the tin.
Orange Drizzle:
- In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar and the orange juice.
- Bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and place orange skins in the syrup . remove just before using.
Candied Oranges:
- Place sliced orange into a medium sauce pan. Cover with water and bring to the boil.
- Discard the water and repeat twice more. Remove the slices from the water.
- In a medium sauce pan, place water and sugar. Over a medium heat, dissolve all the sugar before bringing the syrup to a boil.
- Add orange slices and boil for about 30 minutes until the white is transparent.
- Remove the oranges from the syrup and dry out on a wire cooling rack.
- Dust in castor sugar if you wish.
- (This is great to make candied citrus peel, just peel any citrus and cut the peel into slices before following the recipe.)
To finish the cake:
- Turn the cake out onto a plate, place candied oranges onto the cake and drizzle with the syrup. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
- Keeps for a few days in an airtight container.
- Really lovely with ice cream for a dessert.
