When I first saw this recipe, I got really excited. Olive oil and citrus. Totally yum. Totally easy. So I tried it. That very night. No regrets.
It may look dense and heavy from the photos, but in reality, this cake is a light, moist, citrusy affair that is perfect washed down with a hot cup of tea.
Notes:
The original recipe is right when it says that the cake tastes even better after two or three days, as the flavour melds and mellows. So if you can wait, please wait! You'll be well-rewarded. Or you could do as Molly says and steal slices from it every day of the week.
Here's my version of this recipe.
MARMALADE CAKE
Adapted from Orangette and the Boonville Hotel
1 small to medium-sized Orange
1 Lemon
170g Almond Nibs, toasted
120g Plain Flour + 1 tablespoon Baking Powder, sifted twice
4 large Eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
300g Caster Sugar
160ml extra virgin Olive Oil
Icing Sugar, for serving (optional)
Put the Orange and Lemon in a small pot, cover with water and bring to boil over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Drain and cool. When cool, cut fruits into half and remove seeds. Discard Lemon pulp. Put the halved Orange and Lemon rind into a blender. Blend until you get a thick paste.
Preheat the oven to 140 Celsius. Place Almonds on an ungreased baking tray and put in the centre of the oven. Toast until they look golden and smell warm and toasty (about 10 - 15 minutes). Do not be tempted to remove them from the oven before they are a nice medium brown colour. Set aside to cool completely. When cool, pulse (in short, quick bursts) the Almonds to a fine powder in a dry grinder. Set aside.
Set the oven to 160 Celsius and grease a 7 inch round cake tin.
In a large mixing bowl, combine Eggs and Salt. Beat until foamy. Gradually beat in the Sugar. Fold in the Flour mixture gently. Add fruit paste, Almonds and Olive Oil and beat on low speed to just incorporate. Do not overmix. Pour batter into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool cake in its tin on a wire rack before turning out.
Dust cake with Icing Sugar before serving. Store the cake at room temperature, covered with a plastic wrap or in an airtight tupperware.
