- Cake can be cut into 12 slices - Ready in 1 hour 45 min - Gluten free -
Get making orange peel decorations...
I bake this cake with the leftovers from making gorgeous orange peel decorations. 3 very large oranges make 12 - 15 orange-peel decorations. You peel the oranges as carefully as possible and use metal star / tree cutters to shape the rind. Use a hard-back book to press down on the cutter to save your hands - the rind is tough! (Keep the oranges themselves plus all of the leftover peel for the cake!). Poke a hole with a metal skewer near the top of each shape (for the string to be added through later) and dry the shapes in a very cool oven (80 C or 60 C fan or less than Gas 1) for 1 hour and then spread the peel shapes out on top a radiator overnight to finish off drying (they continue to air-dry once hung on the Christmas tree). Re-make the holes with the skewer and thread 30cm of brown garden twine (folded in half) to make a hanging loop on each decoration. Use tweezers and/or a large sewing needle to help poke the twine through the holes. Or thread the decorations onto one long piece of brown garden twine as a garland.
Gather together…
Either (if you are making the peel decorations) 3 very large oranges, with the star-shaped stalks removed, the flesh from one will be spare so you can eat it and benefit from the Vitamin C at this time of year!
Or (if you are not making the peel decorations) 2 very large oranges / 4 satsumas, with the star-shaped stalks removed.
200g brown sugar.
250g ground almonds.
1 tsp baking powder (the Dr Oetker brand is gluten free).
6 large (or 8 medium) free-range eggs, slightly beaten (to combine the yolk and white).
Topping...
150g dark cooking-chocolate / milk cooking-chocolate (whichever you prefer). N.B. 'cooking chocolate' melts far more easily than regular chocolate and is much less likely to shock and split. Sainsbury's own-brand cooking chocolate is sold in foil and card (so is plastic-free), Green & Black's cooking chocolate is plastic-free AND palm oil-free, but is too pricey for me to use regularly.
Get cooking…
1. Put the flesh from 2 of the oranges, plus the leftover rind from all of the oranges (what's left of them after making the peel decorations) - OR the 2 intact oranges - OR the 4 intact satsumas - (skin and all goes in!) into the base of the pressure cooker, sitting in 2 cm of just-boiled water, seal it up, let it reach pressure over a medium/high heat (for circa 5 minutes) then pressure cook for 20 minutes with the heat turned down low. Before attempting to open the pressure cooker, run the lid under cold water for twenty seconds to release the pressure. (ALTERNATIVELY, simmer the oranges / satsumas in a lidded saucepan for 2 hours, with 2cm of water, which will need topping up regularly as it evaporates away).
2. Meanwhile, butter-grease and base-line with butter and grease-proof paper / reusable-liner, a 20cm / 8 inch springform, loose-bottomed tin (or use a 23cm / 9 inch tin and bake it for a slightly shorter time). Then gather the ingredients to hand whilst you wait for the pressure cooker to finish.
3. Drain the cooked oranges - you can discard the liquid from the pressure cooker.
4. Carefully cut the hot cooked oranges in half, this allows you to remove any pips and it also means that the oranges will cool down (so they are less likely to scramble the eggs!)
5. Preheat the oven to 190ºC (170 C fan) or Gas 5.
6. In a medium/large bowl, blitz the cooked (de-seeded) oranges - skins, pith, fruit and all - with a handheld stick blender (or use a food processor).
7. Add the 200g of soft brown sugar and the 250g of ground almonds, then sieve the 1 tsp of baking powder. Stir.
8. Finally add the 6 large (or 8 medium) beaten eggs - these are added last so that the sugar and almonds cool the hot fruit down, so the eggs don't scramble! Mix well with a spoon.
9. Pour the cake mixture (it is supposed to be runny) into the prepared tin and bake for 50 - 60 minutes; you'll probably have to cover the top with foil after about 30 minutes to stop the top burning. Then let it bake under the foil for the final 20 - 30 minutes. Check if it is done by inserting a skewer vertically into the centre of the cake - if it comes out clean the cake is done.
10. Carefully remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool IN THE TIN for 10 minutes.
11. Boil a quarter-full kettle (if planning to use a bain marie next).
12. Melt the 150g of dark / milk cooking-chocolate over approx. 3 cm of boiling water in a bain marie, on low heat for circa 5 - 10 minutes. (Or melt the cooking-chocolate in the microwave - on high for just 5 second bursts, stirring after each burst, until it is fully melted - this is a much riskier way of melting the chocolate, it is likely to end up lumpy if you melt it in the microwave, but it will still taste great).
13. Carefully remove the cake from the tin (it will be hot!) and gently peel off the lining papers. Stand the cake directly on the cooling rack (with something underneath to catch the drips from the chocolate that you will be adding). For a very smooth finish (not pictured!) invert the cake and use the flat base as the cake top, to cover in chocolate.
14. Cover the cake with a smooth layer of the melted dark chocolate. Use the back of a spoon to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the top - allowing some chocolate to run down the sides in 'drips' when it wants to. I wouldn't bother trying to cover the sides completely as it is very hard to get a neat finish and it is difficult to move the cake if fully covered in chocolate. The cake will be warm for an hour or so, keeping the chocolate molten and glossy, it is equally delicious once it has cooled. Enjoy!