Flour-less Sephardic cake? Could our gluten free dreams be coming true? Yes, yes indeed.
One caveat: this recipe is in metric measurements. But now that the internet is no longer on Blackout, one can easily use Google to translate grams into pounds, etc. Or perhaps we’ll end up getting more views outside the USA (which is a great thing!)
This recipe comes from the Sydney Morning Herald, which I did not know was a great resource for North African and Spanish cuisine. Makes me think a trip down under would be a great idea.
Gluten Free Orange and Almond Cake
- 3 medium oranges
- 6 eggs, separated (we have not tried this with egg replacer, but would love it if someone would and email us the results!)
- 225g caster sugar
- 200g ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Icing sugar to serve
Based on the now famous, never-bettered, flour-less Sephardic cake documented by Claudia Roden. Serve with blueberry compote and thick yoghurt.
Method
Place the clean, whole and unpeeled oranges in water to cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until soft, adding more water when necessary.
Drain the oranges, cut into quarters, discard any major pips, and whiz the rest, including peel, in the food processor, then cool.
Heat oven to 180C. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until pale. Beat in the oranges, almonds and baking powder.
Beat the egg whites until softly peaky and fold gently into the mixture.
Pour into a high-sided 23cm springform cake tin and bake for 1 hour, until firm to the touch (cover with a loose sheet of foil if over-browning). Cool in the tin. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Blueberry Compote
Place 300g blueberries, 50g caster sugar and 50mL Cointreau or similar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the fruits drop their juices. Serve with orange and almond cake, panna cotta or ice-cream for a fast but stylish dessert.