It's been a while since I've clacked away on the old keyboard, at least on my blog. However, I've been keeping very busy on the healthy eating front and have made so many great recipes that I haven't had the time to ph0tograph and blog about them!!
Anyway, I did manage to take a picture of my cake....after most of it was devoured. It really is very good, in spite of the somewhat strange ingredient list and it uses heart healthy olive oil and alm0nds and a good blast of lemon juice for much needed Vitamin C in these cold and flu ridden times!
Take a look at the recipe and then go and make it!!
Citrus Almond Olive Oil Cake
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus 2 tbsps flour for dusting
3/4 cup ground almonds or hazelnuts or walnuts
4 eggs
1 cup sugar (i used raw sugar as that's what I had, not brown though)
zest of 2 lemons (preferably Meyer...more orange/lemon flavour)
juice 1 1/2 lemons
2 tbsps orange blossom water (look for this at middle eastern markets)
3/4 cup nice green extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup milk
1 tbsp baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Put some olive oil on a paper towel and use it to grease an angel food cake pan or bundt pan. Then dust the inside with the flour to coat the surfaces of the pan. Tip out excess.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat sugar and eggs until pale yellow and a bit foamy.....about 1 minute.
3. Add all other ingredients, except the baking powder, and stir until mixed with a wooden spoon. When well combined add the baking powder and stir again until mixed.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until brown on top and a skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.
5. Cool on a wire rack in the pan until it shrinks away from the sides then tip upside down to remove.
Can be served as is or with ice cream (orange blossom water or honey ice cream would be good....no time to make!!)...we ate it with a cup of tea and it was delicious!
Rose water or coconut flavouring could be substituted for the orange blossom water or even coconut milk instead of the milk and lemongrass instead of the lemon zest.......
The possibilities are endless!!
Enjoy!!
