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Writer's picture52Steps

New Year Season: Leftover Satsuma Pressure-Cooker Cake.


- Can be cut into 12 slices - Ready in 1 hour 45 min - Gluten free -

*Use up any sad-looking satsumas with this gluten-free cake*


Gather together…

4 average-sized satsumas (with the star-shaped stalks picked off / dug out).

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, beaten just enough to combine the yolks and whites.

Optional Topping...

150g dark cooking-chocolate (or 150g milk cooking-if you prefer). I think the cake looks better (and tastes better) topped with dark chocolate - more like a Jaffa Cake. 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 4 satsumas (still in their skins!) 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 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 other ingredients to hand whilst you wait for the pressure cooker to finish.

3. Drain the cooked satsumas - you can discard the liquid from the pressure cooker.

4. Carefully cut the hot cooked satsumas 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. Put the 200g of brown sugar in a medium/large bowl and add the halved, cooked satsumas and stir for 1 minute to allow the sugar to start dissolving.

7. Blitz the sugar and the cooked (de-seeded) satsumas - skins, pith, fruit and all - with a handheld stick blender (or use a food processor).

8. Add the 250g of ground almonds, then sieve the 1 tsp of baking powder. Stir.

9. Finally (once the satsuma mixture FEELS COOL) 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.

10. 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.

11. Carefully remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool IN THE TIN for 10 minutes.

12(a). Either: Enjoy the cake as it is - remove it from the tin (it will be hot!) and gently peel off the lining papers. Stand the cake directly on the cooling rack and allow to cool as required - it's delicious warm or cold. Once fully cooled, keep it in an airtight tin, at cool-ish room temperature and eat up within three days.

12.(b) Or: Cover it with chocolate... Boil a quarter-full kettle, if planning to use a bain marie to melt the (optional) chocolate topping.

13. 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).

14. 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 - place something underneath the cooling rack to catch the drips from the chocolate.

15. For a very smooth finish invert the cake and use the flat base as the cake top, to cover in chocolate.

16. Use the back of a metal spoon to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the top of the cake - 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 virtually impossible to get a neat finish and it is difficult to move the cake if fully covered in chocolate.

17. The cake will be warm for an hour or so, it is equally delicious eaten warm (though chocolatey and messy) or cool. Once fully cooled, keep the cake in an airtight tin, at cool-ish room temperature and eat up within three days. Enjoy!





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