Ingredients

Method

• 1-2 thin-skinned oranges (about 375 g)
• 6 free-range eggs
• 1 t baking powder
• 1⁄2 t bicarbonate of soda
• 200 g almond flour
• 250 g caster sugar
• 2 t ground coriander
• 2 t ground cinnamon
• A drop vanilla extract
• For the spiced syrup:
• 200 g sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 orange, zested
• 6 cardamom pods, cracked
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken
• 2 star anise

Method

Ingredients

Grease a 20 cm springform pan and line with baking paper. Put the whole oranges into a pot with some cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours, or until soft. Check occasionally and add more water if necessary. Drain and, when cool, roughly chop the oranges, discarding any seeds. Blend everything – pith, peel and all – in a food processor. Turn into a large bowl.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Add the eggs, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, almond flour, caster sugar, spices and vanilla to the orange purée in the bowl. Beat together. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. If it needs to bake longer, cover with foil to prevent the cake from burning. Bake for a further 5–10 minutes, or until done. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin. Remove when cold.

To make the spice syrup, bring all the ingredients to the boil and reduce until syrupy. Spoon over the cooled cake.

Cook's note: There are many ways to make this delicious cake but I particularly love this gluten- and dairy-free version adapted from the Hey Bernice! blog (heybernice.com) which is finished off with a spiced syrup starring cinnamon, star anise and cardamom.

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