A Tale of Two Cakes: Part II

Okay, so maybe the last cake I made was a bit of a misguided venture, nonetheless disaster was averted and I was able to turn the recipe from what seemed like a faux pas, into an inadvertent smash hit. You might say it was the Britney Spears of cakes; you know right from the start it’s wrong but yet people are strangely drawn to it and buy it’s albums. Anyway, I was just glad the cake was edible, and I didn’t have untouched pieces of cake taunting and staring me in the face spelling out d-e-f-e-a-t.

Surely this recent episode of unintentional dyslexia should serve as a lesson to read a recipe thoroughly before commissioning yourself to bake the cake. This time around all things went as planned, I read the ingredients list in its entirety and made the mental checklist whether we had all the required ingredients on hand. I also made sure I didn't mistake any ingredients for something else, like I had before.

I made an Orange and Almond Cake out of the remaining few oranges from my dwindling stash of Rosey Reds. I was quite hesitant to use these last two Rosey Reds, as though they were the last two remaining in the entire planet, however my appetite for a moist, dense cake was too fervent to ignore. After the recent episode of dry gritty cake, I needed to redeem myself with this cake.

The result- citrus indulgence. The cake was without doubt moist and dense, and the addition of syrup not only intensifies its moistness, but also permeates the cake with a delicious tang that is somehow lost in the cake after baking. I found myself simply relinquishing all better judgement and etiquette and simply began slicing pieces off the cake and picking them up with my hands and shovelling it straight in my mouth. I wavered between gluttonous shame and blissful gratification; and although my mother would be ashamed of my table manners, or rather inherent lack thereof, I cannot and will not apologise for the effects great cake has on a person. With a dollop of thick cream this cake is heaven in a slice.

Almond and Orange Cake
(Serves 6)
from this publication, Issue 28

¾ cup caster sugar
170g unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
3 eggs
1½ tbsp orange juice
¾ cup plain all-purpose flour, sifted
¾ tsp baking powder
2/3 cup almond meal
thick double cream to serve

Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
Place the sugar, butter and orange rind in a bowl and beat until light and creamy.
Gradually add the eggs and orange juice, beating well.
Fold through the flour, baking powder and almond meal, until incorporated.
Pour the batter into prepared baking tin and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Cool in the tin for 5 minutes and turn out on a wire rack to cool.
Serve with Orange syrup and cream.

Orange Syrup

2 cups caster sugar
1 cup water
¼ cup orange juice

Place the sugar, water and orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved completely.
Bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes or until the mixture is thick and syrupy.
Pour over cake before serving.