Orange Almond Cake

I was flipping through my latest cookbook purchase, Laura Calder’s “French Taste”, hoping for a cake to jump out at me that would be fit for a birthday celebration. I have really enjoyed her latest season of “French Cooking at Home” on Food Network Canada and decided to give her book a look through when I was out one day and ended up picking it up. The recipes are simple, solid and inspirational, and her writing is quite lighthearted and charming without sacrificing merit. There are topics covered in the book that are rarely covered in others without seeming like an uptight manners lesson, such as how to serve a glass of water, that just seem fitting and logical. I endorse it, and not only because I have a boyish crush on Calder herself. Whenever she comes on the TV my wife will yell out, “Your girlfriend is on again!” to lure me from the office.

Anyway… I found a cake that suited not only this purpose, but another I’ve been looking to fill. Lately I’ve been trying to mentally conjure an image of a dessert containing both oranges and almonds but couldn’t really decide on what to make. Her recipe for an orange and almond cake not only seemed appropriate for an occasion, but would fill this void. But first I had to go out and purchase a spring form pan. We had several of these in Alberta and, after buying the ingredients necessary to make this cake, I realized they did not make the cut to move with us. This just clearly goes to show how often I use a spring form pan, if after living in Montreal for three plus years I have yet to require one.

This cake is “flourless”, but in the sense that when people say flourless, they usually don’t really mean not containing flour, they mean that it does not contain wheat flour. It is also, much like a Souffle, leavened with eggs, instead of baking soda or powder. The cake itself is the bare essentials of cake making, containing only eggs, sugar and “flour” (ground almonds) flavored with orange zest. Such a cake can be a tad dry, though still delicious, on its own. To improve its flavor and texture, it is “punched” with a syrup of orange juice, Grand Marnier and vanilla.

The original recipe called for a decoration of candied orange zest, which I made, but ended up folding in to whipped cream to serve as an accompaniment. Should you wish to make candied orange zest, simply zest three oranges, place them in a pot with enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Drain, and repeat twice, to remove bitterness from the peel. Then, heat 1/2 cup sugar with a tablespoon or two of water over medium-high heat. Cook this mixture until it becomes a fragrant, deep caramel then add the orange zest, along with 1/4 cup of water – careful, as this will cause some splattering and sugar burns are vicious devils (this is an understatement.) Continue cooking for a minute or two, then remove the orange zest with a fork to parchment paper to cool. To make the whipped cream, simply whisk together 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of icing sugar until it holds its own, then fold in the candied orange zest. This was so good that people were passing around a single communal tablespoon of it around the room to enjoy, before the cake was even sliced.

I should also admit to being a bit of an over achiever and, not wanting to waste the caramel syrup produced making the candied zest, continued to cook it to the hard crack stage (302 degrees), poured it onto a Silpat-type sheet and let it cool slightly, then quickly worked the caramel into orange-flavored candies in the shape of “Bonne Fête”. This was a last minute decision, and the candies didn’t quite set as well as I liked, but made for a decent haphazard cake decoration.

Orange Almond Cake

• 6 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 oranges, zested
• 1 1/2 cups almond flour (ground almonds)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1.5 ounces Grand Marnier
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons icing sugar
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack positioned in the center.
2. Beat the yolks, sugar and orange zest until the mixture becomes thick, pale and ribbony.
3. Add the almond flour to the yolk mixture, stirring to thoroughly combine, and set aside.
4. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks (just when they begin to lose their glossy shine and, when your whisk is removed, leaves a “stiff peak” when it leaves the mixture). Lighten the yolk mixture with 1/3 of the egg whites, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites using a spatula.
5. Lightly grease a 9″ spring form cake pan and place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom. Fill the pan and bake until set, about 35-45 minutes. A toothpick should be able to be inserted into the center and come out clean. Do not open the oven for the first 30 minutes of baking.
6. While the cake is baking, mix the juice of the oranges with the 1/2 cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook until it becomes a thickened syrup, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Grand Marnier and vanilla.
7. When the cake is finished, remove it from the oven, allow it to cool slightly, then demold. Carefully spoon the prepared syrup over the cake, allowing it to soak in all over.
8. To serve, transfer to a serving dish, place icing sugar in a fine strainer and lightly tap to “dust” the cake and cover with sliced almonds.