Ingredients

Method

• 2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 60 g honey, plus 1 T
• 75 g butter, softened
• 1 blood orange, zested and juiced
• 3 large free-range eggs, separated
• 100 g almond flour
• 90 g polenta
• 200 g fresh ricotta, drained
• salt, a pinch
• 110 g caster sugar
• raw shelled pistachios, roughly chopped, to decorate
• crème fraîche, for serving
• For the syrup:
• 150 g caster sugar
• 2 blood oranges, juiced

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a 20 cm round cake tin with baking paper. Layer the blood orange slices in the cake tin in two layers. Drizzle with 1 T honey and set aside.

2. Beat the butter, remaining honey and orange zest with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition.

3. Transfer to a large bowl, then fold in the almond flour, polenta, ricotta and orange juice.

4. Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form, then gradually beat in the caster sugar until shiny.

5. Fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, then spoon the batter into the cake tin on top of the orange slices.

6. Smooth out the top and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.

7. While the cake is baking, make the syrup. Heat the caster sugar and orange juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook until a light syrup forms. Once the cake comes out of the oven, pour over the syrup and allow to cool.

8. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and peel off the baking paper. Decorate with the pistachios and serve with crème fraiche.

Learn more about blood oranges here.

Photography: Shavan Rahim
Videography: Romy Wilson
Recipes and production: Jacqueline Burgess
Food assistant: Saxon Angelica Kinnear

Don’t delay! Woolworths’ blood oranges are available for a limited time. Make the most of this season by adding the crimson-coloured citrus to salads, bakes, roasts and cocktails. 

Shop blood oranges at Woolworths here.