ORANGE-ALMOND CAKE

Orange-Almond Cake image

Provided by Joan Nathan

Categories dessert

Time 1h

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Butter or margarine to grease pan
1 tablespoon matzo cake meal
8 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
Grated zest of 2 oranges
2 teaspoons cinnamon
8 ounces blanched almonds
3 to 4 oranges
12 mandarin oranges
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream or kosher for Passover nondairy whipped topping
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out with teaspoon
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch springform pan and sprinkle with matzo cake meal.
In medium bowl, mix egg yolks, sugar, grated orange zest and cinnamon, and beat well.
Place half the almonds in food processor and pulverize. Add remaining almonds and pulse until coarsely chopped. Stir into egg yolk mixture.
In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter and pour into pan.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center.
Meanwhile, squeeze oranges and mandarins for about 3 cups juice and pour into small saucepan with 3/4 cup sugar. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Simmer gently until liquid has reduced by half and is a sticky syrup. Keep warm enough not to set.
When cake is tepid, remove to large plate with lip and make holes with toothpick or skewer all over it, right through to bottom. Pour syrup onto cake so it absorbs it all. There will be a sticky pink moat around it; let it sit for a few hours, occasionally spooning more syrup over surface.
Pour cream or nondairy topping into bowl with vanilla seeds and sugar and whisk until sloppily firm. Pour in orange liqueur, and whisk until soft. Serve alongside cake.