claudia roden's middle eastern orange and almond cake

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of my favourite cakes - so fresh, moist and with a huge hit of orange citrus flavour.  It is a recipe from the brilliant cookery writer Claudia Roden- one of my food heroes.  This recipe was first published in A Book of Middle Eastern Food in 1968.  I have only altered the recipe here slightly by swapping 1 of the oranges in the original recipe for 4 clementines (just because that's what I had in the house). 

I urge you to try this recipe and buy the book - you won't regret it.  You will learn a lot about the cultural influences on food and how recipes change and evolve over time and place.

I have made this "half pudding, half cake" as Ms Roden puts it numerous times and it never fails.  Delicious!  I hope you love it as much as I do. 

2 large oranges (I used 1 orange and 4 clementines)
6 eggs
8oz ground almonds
8 oz sugar
1 tsp baking powder

• preheat the oven to 200C and grease and line a cake tin - I used a 9 inch diameter tin. 
• wash the oranges/clementines well then place in a pan with a little water and boil for about 2 hours - until the fruit is soft. 

• let the oranges cool, cut them open and remove the pips and then blend or pass through a sieve if you don't have a blender. 

• in a separate large bowl beat the eggs for a minute or two then add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly

• pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes.  A skewer will come out clean when it is done.  This is a very moist cake but if it is too wet after the time leave it in for a few minutes longer.  The surface should be set and slightly 'springy' to the touch. 

• leave to cool in the tin before turning out and cutting into slices.  

• good with a strong black coffee in the middle of the day as or as an after dinner dessert served with thick yogurt, cream or ice cream.