Tunisian Orange Cake

This very simple but fantastic tasty cake/ dessert is delicious served with cream or a scoop of soft icecream.

The cake will last (if it's not devoured in one go) for up to two weeks in an airtight container/ tin.

I got this recipe from Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery Course (or as it's been christened by myself and my sisters 'THE BALLYMALOE BIBLE' ).

Every time I have made it, it has turned out perfectly and is ideal if you are having folks to dinner as you can make it days in advance.

INGREDIENTS:
For the Cake
2oz / 50g stale breadcrumbs
7oz / 200g Caster sugar
3 1/2oz / 100g ground almonds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
7fl oz / 200ml sunflower oil
4 eggs
zest 1 large orange
zest 1 small lemon
(keep the orange and lemon juice for the syrup)

For the Syrup
Juice of 1 large Orange
Juice 1 small lemon
3oz/ 75g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves

Grate the zest of the orange and lemon. Mix it with the ground almonds, sugar,  baking powder and breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl whisk the oil and eggs together.  Add mixture to the dry ingredients  and mix well.


Pour into a deep 8in / 20cm greased and floured tin and line the bottom of the tin.

Place the tin in a COLD OVEN- yes, you read it correctly- and turn it on to 180ºC  (160ºC fan) and bake, from cold, for 45 minutes until firm and golden brown. While the cake is baking, be a busy bee and make the syrup. Slowly heat the syrup ingredients together in a heavy based pot and simmer gently for 3 minutes giving it the odd stir.

When cake is cooled pierce all over with a skewer (I use a metal knitting needle) and gently spoon over the warm syrup until it is all soaked up.

Serve decorated with the cloves and the cinnamon stick from the syrup and a nice dollop of freshly whipped cream. Mmmmmmmmm.