05 Mar blood orange cake

A friend was telling us about an early spring trip to Sicily where they were picking ripe and plump blood oranges from the trees. In March of this year, we ate in Terra Madre – one of Dublin’s smallest (and bestest) Italian restaurants – and were served juicy slices of blood oranges with a chocolate biscuit biscuit cake. Forest Avenue’s five course tasting brunch boasted blood oranges segments in their granola bowls. Kevin Powell aka Gruel Guerilla was telling us about his batch of blood orange marmalade. In short, blood oranges are the flavour of March. And before they disappear again, we suggest you make our blood orange cake out of them.

Blood oranges are nearing the end of their short, sweet season. We picked ours up at Evergreen on Wexford Street – a very lovely little city centre greengrocer.

If you miss the blood oranges, this recipe will still rock with regular oranges – or why not try pink grapefruit? Either way, you’re going to love this zingy cake.

This video also features the beautiful handiwork of Sam and Barry at Elemental Designs who made the coffee table and our kitchen table. Find out more about their work here.

Ingredients 

For the Candied Blood Orange syrup

2-3 blood oranges

About 200g of caster sugar

About 100ml of water

For the cake batter

200g unsalted butter

200g caster sugar

3 large eggs

200g ground almonds

110g plain flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

4 tablespoons natural yoghurt

Pre-heat oven to 160C/140C fan/Gas Mark 3. Line your cake tin with baking paper.

Start with the candied blood orange syrup. Finely slice the blood oranges. Put the caster sugar and water in a saucepan and dissolve over a medium heat, stirring now and then.

Once the sugar has completely dissolved, turn up the heat high and add the orange slices. Bubble for 10 to 15 minutes until the orange peel is almost translucent.

Remove the oranges with a slotted spoon and allow to cool on baking paper.

Keep the leftover syrup in the saucepan and simmer until thickened. Our turned into a delightfully oozey mixture – akin to Mood Slime from The Ghostbusters. Set aside and allow to cool.

Make your cake batter by mixing butter and sugar in large bowl with electric whisk.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat with electric whisk. Don’t worry if it kind of curdles – this happens sometimes. It will all come together when you add the flour – don’t worry.

Mix in the yoghurt.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a second smaller bowl. Add the almonds, flour, baking powder and mix.

Fold the dry ingredients into wet ingredients with a large spoon – try not to over mix it as that will lead to a dense, heavy cake.

Line the bottom of your cake tin with a bit of the sticky blood orange syrup. Arrange blood oranges on bottom of cake tin.

Dollop your cake batter over the oranges and smooth out top of cake.

Bake in your pre-heated oven for 60 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Slice and serve with thick yoghurt and drizzle of remaining blood orange syrup.

Thanks so much to Dublin-based electronic producer Benny Smiles for the use of his track Moonlight which perfectly soundtracks our cake.