Aromatic with citrus zest and with a rich, dense interior, this moist gluten-free cake can be served plain or finished with a drizzle of icing – either way, it’s rather fabulous.
INGREDIENTS
3 x eggs, size 7 (large)
¾ cup caster sugar
½ cup light fruity olive oil or ¼ cup each of vegetable oil and olive oil
70 grams skin-on roasted almonds, finely ground
4 tablespoons desiccated coconut, toasted
¾ cup plain gluten-free flour, (I used Bob's Red Mill)
½ teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon each ground ginger and nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
finely grated zest of 2 oranges and 1 lemon
⅓ cup combined orange and lemon juice
Syrup
½ cup orange or lemon juice
3 tablespoons caster sugar
Icing
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
3–4 teaspoons orange or lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped roasted almonds or raw pistachios, optional
zest of 1 orange or lemon
20cm spring form cake tin greased and base and sides lined with baking paper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.
Syrup: Place the juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Cake: Whisk the eggs and sugar until very pale and thick and tripled in volume. This can take 8–10 minutes. Gradually beat in the olive oil in a thin stream until well combined and very thick.
Combine the almonds, coconut, flour, guar gum, spices, baking powder and salt together then add the zests. Using your fingertips, rub the zest into the dry ingredients to infuse with the oils.
Using a large metal spoon, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture along with the juice, keeping as much air in the batter as possible.
Pour into the tin and bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. While the cake is still hot, gradually spoon the syrup over the top until is has all been absorbed. Cool completely in the tin.
Icing: Stir enough juice into the icing sugar to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a small plastic bag and snip a tiny hole in one corner. Drizzle the icing over the cake then sprinkle with chopped nuts and zest if using. Makes 1 cake
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126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.