As citrus seasons draws to an end for 2021 we are busy trying to preserve the fragrant oranges, lemons and bergamots we have become used to since January. With them they bring a hope of sunshine on the horizon. To best respect their sweetness and acidity a variety of preparations is advised to make the most of them.
For me marmalade is too bitter and I turn to cakes, salads and chutneys to get my citrus fix or just a straight up juicy, dribbling down your chin orange wedge. Blood orange finds a happy marriage with earthy flavours like beetroot and compliments the bitter notes of radicchio.
A favourite on our counter at this time of year is our blood orange, buckwheat + almond drizzle cake. A simple recipe most can master, the nuttiness of buckwheat and moisture coming from the almonds produce a dense and squidgy cake balanced by the blood orange drizzle.
You will need:
3 blood oranges
380g caster sugar
5 eggs
280g ground almonds
200g butter, softened
100g buckwheat flour
To make this at home start by lining a 22cm spring form cake tin with parchment paper and pre heating your oven to 160c fan/180c.
Cream the butter and 300g of the sugar together either by hand, using an electric hand whisk or with a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Once they have combined and lightened in colour add half of the ground almonds and the zest of the blood oranges, followed by the eggs, adding these one at a time making sure each egg is fully combined before adding the next. Lastly tip in the remaining ground almonds and the buckwheat flour and stir or mix until just combined.
Pour the mixture into your lined tin and spread it until you have an even surface. Place on a baking tray and put into the oven for 40-45 mins or until the cake springs back when you touch the surface.
When the cake has around 10 minutes remaining in the oven juice 2 of the blood oranges and pass the juice through a sieve into a small saucepan and add the 80g sugar. Place on a medium heat and stir until dissolved. Once the cake has cooled slightly pour the syrup over and leave it in the tin to cool completely.
If you wish to decorate it with some neon pink icing simply whisk the 25ml juice from the third blood orange with around 200g sieved icing sugar until you get a thick smooth icing the coats the back of a spoon, this isn’t always an exact science and you may need to add a little more liquid or icing sugar. Pop the cake out of the tin, peel off the parchment paper and position on a wire rack. Spread the icing over the cake and allow it to create some satisfying and decorative drips down the sides.
At Isca we complete the look with some thinly sliced and dehydrated blood orange slices, if you have access to a dehydrator you can try this at home, or dry thin slices or blood oranges in your oven on 50c for 3-4 hours.