Orange Almond Cake – Sweet Adventures Blog Hop

My grandfather passed away last night.

It was as sudden as it was peaceful and I’m still not sure what to make of it all.

He was a kind and generous soul who wanted for nothing and was happy so long as he was with my Nana. He would have loved this cake, he loved all things sweet and would keep a stash of sweets with him at all times.

He loved to eat but he had simple tastes. His favourite things were scones with jam and cream, a hot roast dinner with all the trimmings and ginger beer. He was a true gentleman. He loved his footy, dancing and my Nan. He was a handyman, he created so many wonderful things with whatever bits and pieces he had lying around; a cricket set for us kids, a barbecue and perhaps his legacy, the most beautiful garden for my Nan.

It is hard to know what else to say at this point other than I am sad to see him go but I know that he is at peace now. It is bittersweet. He missed my Nan terribly after she went, each day was a struggle for him. He was fiercely loyal, he cared for her in her darkest hours, she was his reason for getting up in the morning. When she left I don’t know that he knew what to do with himself. He deteriorated quickly and worried that he was a burden. He wasn’t, but I understand.

Goodbye Frank. We love you, we will miss you. Say hi to Nana for me.

xx.

Orange Almond Cake – Sweet Adventures Blog Hop

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

 

Replacing the flour with almond meal results in a delicate and moist crumb that will leave you wanting more.

Author: Erin Brooks

Recipe type: Cake

Cuisine: Gluten-Free

Serves: plenty

Ingredients

• 2 large unwaxed oranges, scrubbed
• 200g brown sugar
• 300g almond meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp of cinnamon
• 4 x-large eggs

Method

1. The night before:
2. fill a large pot with cold water. Put the oranges in the pot and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 30 minutes and then drain.
3. Refill the pot with cold water and bring to the boil again, boil for a further 30 minutes. Drain and leave oranges on the bench to cool overnight.
4. The next day:
5. Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade. Grease and line a 20cm springform pan.
6. Cut oranges into segments and check for any seeds (remove). Put the oranges, skin and all, into a blender and blend to a fine purée.
7. Add the almond meal, sugar, baking powder and spices, blend again.
8. Add the eggs to the bowl of your electric mixer and whip until pale and thick.
9. Using a spatula gently fold the orange meal mix into the eggs. Be careful not to overmix.
10. Pour out the batter into your pre-prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.
11. Keep an eye on this one, the top might brown up faster than the middle cooks. Cover with foil at the halfway point if need be.
12. When it is just cooked, switch off the oven and leave the door ajar to allow the cake to cool. This will stop it cracking.
13. Remove from the oven after about 20 minutes and cool to room temperature. Gently remove from the pan by pushing up from the base. Leave the cake tin base on until completely cooled.
14. Allow to cool and store in the fridge for up to a week.
15. Serve with vanilla yoghurt and a warm cup of tea.

Notes

– adapted from recipe here
– This is a 2 stage recipe
– If your oranges are waxed then soak them in apple cider vinegar for 20 minutes to remove. Rinse under cold water.
– make sure you use a springform pan otherwise the cake will flatten when you turn it out on to a rack.

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THIS POST IS PART OF THE SWEET ADVENTURES BLOG-HOP

Thanks to Nic from Dining with a Stud for hosting this months festivities

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Tagged as: almond, baking, cake, death, dying, flourless, Frank, gluten free, grief, memories, orange, recipe, simple, sweet adventures blog hop