A certain lady (see title) requested a recipe with oranges and almonds. I also reckon it’s time for a step up in difficulty level. So this week I’m making orange cake. Granted it doesn’t sound all that deadly but it’s pretty tasty and lasts well. Another demanding lady *cough* Ms. Knight *cough* seems to have a legitimate dependency on chocolate. Thus to make a lovely cake even lovelier it’s going to have a dark chocolate glaze.

For the record this recipe is the hybrid-spawn of several recipes by horribly amazing chefs; Nigella Lawson and James Martin to name but two.

 

 

Oven temperature 180Celsius

Orange                   200g – weigh them after they’re cooked (approximately 2 small)

Eggs                        2 large or 3 medium

Caster sugar          100g

Ground almonds  150g

Baking powder      1/2 a teaspoon

 

Chocolate glaze;

Dark chocolate      75g

Butter                      25g

 

Preheat the oven and grease a 18cm round tin (see how to line the tin here).

Pop the whole oranges in a little saucepan and fill with enough water to just cover them. Put the pan o’ oranges on the hob and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer for one – two hours, until they’re soft and squishy. You may need to top the water up as they cook so they stay submerged. A long time but no effort and the smell of the bubbling oranges is just perfect.

When the oranges are ready, remove them from the pan. If you have more patience than I, leave them to cool and then slice them in half and take out any pips but I seldom bother to wait preferring instead to scald my fingers. Weigh out 200g of the sliced oranges and place them, skins and all, in a food processor. Blitz to form a liquidy mess with a few nice lumpier bits as below.

 

 

In a big mixing bowl whisk the eggs till they fluff up and go pale and lovely like washing-up liquid bubbles. Add the sugar and whisk again. Then pour in your ground almonds and baking powder and mix to combine. Finally, pour in the orange sludge. Do not be alarmed, this is meant to be a sloppy batter. Tip into your prepared tin and then pop it into the oven.

 

 

The cake will take about 45mins or so to bake but if after 20mins it’s starting to get too brown put a piece of tin-foil over it (see above). You’ll know the cake is done when it’s just firm to the touch and toasty brown. Leave it in the tin to cool, then carefully turn it out and remove the baking parchment.

 

Dark chocolate glaze:

Put the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a saucepan with a few centimetres of simmering water in it. Stir gently till all is melted and glossy. Take the bowl off the saucepan and leave to cool and thicken slightly (15mins). Pour over your very lovely, cooled orange cake.

 

Don’t be storing a cake in a fridge unless it has fresh cream in it or the texture will change and it won’t be very pleasant to eat.