The secret to Italian orange almond cake

This orange and almond cake doesn’t get its flavour from a little zest. It actually uses a whole boiled orange to provide the essence of orange and moisture that will last for days after baking.

Ultimate orange and almond cake

Ingredients

• 1 large orange weighing approximately 350 grams (or 2 smaller oranges)
• 6 free-range eggs
• 250g ground almonds
• 250g granulated sugar
• 1 heaped tsp baking powder
• Butter and flour/breadcrumbs for the tin

Method

Wash the orange, put it in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for an hour and a half —or until it is extremely soft when pricked with a fork. Remove the orange from the pan, let it cool, then cut it open and remove any pips. 

Next, turn the orange into a pulp by pressing it through a sieve or by using a blender. If you try a spoonful at this stage, you can taste the change in state that the orange undergoes —it will be sweetened and perfectly moist.

Prepare a cake tin – ideally with a loose base – by rubbing it with butter and then dusting it with flour or breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl, add the pulped orange and then beat again. Add the almonds, sugar and baking powder, then beat again until you have a thick and even batter. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for between 40 – 60 minutes. 

Check the cake after 40 minutes —it should be golden and set firm. Prick the cake with a wooden skewer. It should come out almost clean, as opposed to very sticky with a clingy batter. If the cake needs more time in the oven, cover it with aluminium foil to prevent the top from browning too much.

Let the cake cool in the tin before turning it onto a plate and dusting it with a little icing sugar.

Serve with a dollop of double cream and espresso – Italian style!