Hairy Bikers Orange and Almond Cake Recipe

This Hairy Bikers orange and almond cake recipe folds two whole boiled, blitzed oranges into whisked eggs, sugar and ground almonds instead of flour. So this Mediterranean Adventure cake serves 8 to 10, at about 365 calories a slice for ten by my estimate, taking up to 3½ hours.

“A real sunshine cake” is their description, one they reckon will brighten a grey British day. And most of that time is hands-off, because the oranges simmer for up to 2 hours before you even switch the oven on.

The eggs make or break it, since they’re whisked until almost mousse-like before the sugar goes in and the almonds are folded through. So that air does the lifting alongside a teaspoon of baking powder, which is why the recipe folds the almonds in rather than beating them.

Hairy Bikers Orange and Almond Cake Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Mediterranean Courses:Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time:3 hours Rest time: 15 minutesTotal time:3 hours 35 minutesServings:10 servingsCalories:365 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Peel, pith and all, two soft oranges become a purée for this almond sponge, which bakes in a lined 23cm tin. And once it’s cool, a crunchy mix of toasted flaked almonds, icing sugar and orange zest goes on top, with crème fraiche alongside.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2 small oranges
• butter, for greasing
• 6 eggs
• 225g caster sugar
• 250g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder

To decorate

• 75g flaked almonds, lightly toasted
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 2 tsp very finely grated orange zest

To serve

• 250ml crème fraiche or whipped cream

Instructions

1. Simmer the oranges: Put the whole oranges in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Then cover with a lid and simmer for up to 2 hours, until you can pierce the skin with the handle of a wooden spoon.
2. Purée: Drain the oranges and cool them under running water, then break them open and remove any pips. Next, blitz them in a food processor or blender until smooth and set aside.
3. Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4, then grease a 23cm cake tin, ideally loose-bottomed, and line the base with baking paper.
4. Whisk the eggs: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until very well aerated and frothy, almost mousse-like. Then gradually add the sugar, whisking all the time.
5. Fold in: Mix the ground almonds with the baking powder and fold them into the eggs, then finally add the orange purée.
6. Bake: Pour into the tin and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until it shrinks slightly from the sides and is firm but springy.
7. Cool: Leave it in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack. But don’t worry if it dips slightly in the middle as it cools.
8. Decorate: Mix the flaked almonds with the icing sugar and orange zest so the zest is evenly spread, then sprinkle it over the cake. After that, serve with dollops of crème fraiche or whipped cream.

FAQs

Why does it take so long?

Most of it is the oranges, which need to soften until a wooden spoon handle goes through the skin. So any recipe card promising this cake in about an hour hasn’t counted that step, since the bake alone takes 50 to 60 minutes.

And their Brilliant Bakes lemon and almond cake has a shortcut, because a pressure cooker softens the fruit in ten minutes. But I haven’t tried that with oranges, and since boiled oranges can’t be zested, I’d buy a third for the topping.

Is it gluten-free?

There’s no flour in it, so it’s flour free, as they point out, but the baking powder still needs checking. And their Brilliant Bakes lemon version lists gluten-free baking powder, while this recipe just says baking powder.

So for coeliacs, I’d use gluten-free baking powder and check UK almond labels, while their flourless chocolate hazelnut cake skips baking powder entirely.

Can you make it with lemons instead?

Yes, their Brilliant Bakes lemon and almond cake follows a near-identical method, with 2 unwaxed lemons, 5 eggs and 200g each of almonds and sugar. But it bakes cooler, at 170°C, in a deep 20 to 21cm tin, for about 40 minutes.

And if you want a classic lemon cake with flour, their soggy lemon drizzle cake is the one to make.

Why has my cake sunk in the middle?

They warn that it might dip slightly in the middle as it cools, and say not to worry. So I put that down to there being no flour to hold it up, and the almond topping hides a small dip anyway.

But if it’s wet in the centre, I’d give it longer next time, since it’s done when it shrinks from the sides and springs back.

How long does it keep?

No keeping time is printed, so my own rule is an airtight tin for up to 3 days, with the topping added just before serving. That keeps the almonds crisp, and with this much ground almond I’d expect it to stay moist rather than go stale.

For another ground almond bake, their raspberry Bakewell tart has a butter-free filling of ground almonds, sugar and eggs.