This super orangey gluten free cake is fantastically moist and requires very few ingredients. The chocolate ganache complements the orange perfectly, however the cake is also great on its own dusted with icing sugar and served with yoghurt. I have doubled the recipe in these photos for a layer cake.

ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE WITH
CHOCOLATE GANACHE

INGREDIENTS

2 oranges
250 grams caster sugar
250 grams ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 eggs 
200 grams dark chocolate, cubed
1/2 cup of cream

TO DECORATE
Edible flowers
Dehydrated mandarin segments, crushed
Roasted pistachios, finely chopped
 

METHOD

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add oranges. Let it boil away for at least an hour. 

Once the skins have become soft pour off the water and let sit until they have cooled to room temperature. 

Heat oven to 160°C on bake. Grease and line a 23cm cake tin.

Place whole oranges in a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth paste. 

In a bowl, combine the ground almonds, baking powder, sugar and eggs and mix well. Fold through the orange puree. 

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and level. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour or until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool. 

Bring a pot of water to the boil and reduce to a simmer. Place a heat proof bowl on top of the pot making sure the water isn't touching the base of the bowl. Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir until fully melted. Add the cream and stir until combined. Place in the fridge to thicken, this should take 30-40 minutes.

Once the cake has completely cooled and the ganache has thickened, swirl the icing over the cake and serve.