SICILIAN ORANGE CAKE WITH PISTACHIOS
Citrus fruits feature strongly in Sicilian cuisine. This beautiful cake is an excellent keeper thanks to the puréed whole orange in the mix. To make a dairy-free cake, use a delicate flavoured olive oil in place of the butter. Cake recipe created by developer and food stylist, as well as senior food writer for Cuisine Magazine, Ginny Grant.
Ingredients
Candied orange slices
2 oranges, thinly sliced
250g (approx. 1 cup) sugar
250ml (1 cup) water
For the cake
70g (approx. ½ cup) shelled pistachios
1 orange, roughly chopped and pips removed
100g butter or olive oil
3 eggs (number 7)
250g caster sugar
200g flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped
icing sugar (to dust)
yoghurt or crème fraîche (for serving)
Method
Candied Orange Slices: Cook the oranges in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 mins, then drain and plunge into icy, cold water
Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and bring up to a simmer. When the sugar has dissolved, add the orange slices and simmer gently for 40-45 mins or until tender. Allow to cool in the syrup. Can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 170°C
Grease and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper
In a food processor, grind the pistachios to a medium grind. Set aside in a small bowl. Put the orange into the processor with 50ml water and blitz to a purée
Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. In an electric mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar until light in colour and thickened, then add the orange purée and the melted butter and stir through. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mix and fold through. Add the pistachios and fold through
Put into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 45-50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin on a cake rack
Layer the drained candied oranges on top of the cake, scatter over pistachios and dust with icing sugar. Serve with yoghurt or crème fraîche