Almond and Orange Cake

I notice that of late I have been baking using almonds more than my norm. I don't know why but I am hooked to almond at the moment. While in the office working and one of those days that hit me, I decided to destress myself by browsing the web on my lunch break and came across this recipes by Michel Roux Jr. Honest, I never heard of him and this is the first time I heard his name.

However after going through the ingrdients and the cooking method, I notice that this is an easy cake to bake and sound fail proof. Also I have most of the ingredients in my cupboard, therefore decided to have a go.

My verdict: easy to bake even for beginner and most important it is a moist and  delicious cake. Here are the ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 50g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 200g castor sugar
• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp grated zest of orange
• 4 medium eggs
• 80 ml freshly squeeze orange juice
• 60g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp marmalade
• handful of almond flakes, toasted

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c/160c for fan oven. Butter a 20cm rounds cake tin.

Sift flour, baking powder and sugar and then add in the ground almonds.

Whisk the butter with the orange zest until pale, then add the eggs one at a time. Fold in the dry ingredients with a metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the preheat oven for 45 minutes or until cooked.

Meanwhile make a syrup by boiling the orange juice with the brown sugar. Leave to cool. Once the cake is cooked, prick several times with a skewer to the base and pour on the cooled syrup. Leave the cake to cool completely before brushing on a little warmed marmalade and sprinkling it with a few toasted, almond flakes.

Lovely served with orange segments marinated in a generous splash of whisky and a little demerara sugar.