Last month I shared a post about a Cooking Workshop with Taylors of Harrogate I attended in London, as part of my collaboration with the British brand and Creating for Good to raise money for Women for Women International. Women for Women have released a cookbook, which I used to make this Orange Scented Olive Oil and Almond Cake. I brought this cake to the workshop and it was so tasty that most people went back for seconds. Here’s the recipe for you all to try at home.
What I loved about this cake is that it is full of flavours from the oranges, the olive oil and the almonds. It’s such a wonderful combination! It’s also gluten free as it uses a mix of rice flour and ground almonds. Using rice flour (instead of just almonds) keep the cake light and soft.
It was the perfect accompaniment to tea and coffee at our cooking workshop. I made two cakes and save a piece for my husband to taste later that day. He loved this olive oil and lamond cake so much that he’s been asking me to re-make it for his birthday!
This recipe is by Nell Newman, former actress (daughter of Paul Newman) and founder of the Nell Newman Foundation which funds small and visionary organisations. You can find this and many more delicious recipes in “Share: The Cookbook that Celebrates Our Common Humanity” by Women for Women International.
Note: it is best to use a light and fruity olive oil for this cake, rather than a strong flavoured one.
Ingredients
- 100g ground almonds
- 100g white rice flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 175g granulated sugar
- 120ml olive oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- freshly grated zest of 2 oranges and 60ml juice
- 60ml cooking sherry or Sauternes
To serve
- sugar glaze
- candied orange
- handful of flaked almonds
Preparation
Preheat oven to 180°C and butter a 20cm round spring form cake tin, and line the base with baking parchment.
In a mixing bowl, sieve the rice flour and ground almonds with baking powder and salt.
Meanwhile, in a separate large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks until they are light in colour and texture, for about a minute. Add the sugar and beat for a further 2-3 minutes until well combined. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, followed by the extracts, orange zest, orange juice and sherry or Sauternes. Blend the dry ingredients into this mixture, unti just combined.
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl using the electric whisk until you achieve firm peaks. Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture until well combined, then pour the batter into your prepared cake tin.
Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until light brown and the cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in its tin for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cake by running a butter knife around the edges. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and reverse invert onto a nice plate.
Optional: before serving, prepare a sugar glaze to pour over the cake, then sprinkle candied orange and flaked almonds on top.
