Spiced Orange Cakes

Spiced Orange Cakes

These Spiced Orange Cakes are finished with spiced orange blossom syrup, pistachios and rose petals after baking in mini loaf tins, topped with pistachios and rose petals.

Makes: 8
Preparation: 15 minutes + 3 hours boiling for oranges
Cooking: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 oranges
4 eggs
½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1¼ cups (275g) caster sugar
250g ground almonds
½ cup (80g) icing sugar
¼ cup pistachios, roasted, roughly chopped
Rose petals, to serve

Spiced orange blossom syrup
1 orange, juiced
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch ground cloves
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange blossom water
1 tablespoon (20 ml) lemon juice

Method

1. Place the oranges in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours or until the oranges are very tender.  Drain and set the oranges aside to cool.
2. While the oranges are boiling, make the spiced orange blossom syrup by combining orange juice, spices and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove heat, allow to cool and add orange blossom water and lemon juice.
3. Sift icing sugar into a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the spiced orange blossom syrup and 2 teaspoons of water and mix until smooth. Set aside until serving.
4. When the oranges are cooked, pre-heat oven to 160°C. Grease a mini loaf tin with eight 2/3 cup (160 ml) holes with butter.
5. Cut the cooked oranges in half and remove any seeds. Place in a food processor with eggs, olive oil, vanilla and sugar and process until smooth.  Add ground almonds and pulse until just combined.  Spoon batter into prepared loaf tins, putting two 1/3 cup measures in each hole, and bake for 45 minutes or until firm.  Remove from oven and sprinkle each mini loaf with 2 teaspoons of cooled spiced orange blossom syrup.  Leave to cool before removing from tins.
6. To serve, drizzle each mini loaf with icing and top with pistachios and rose petals.

Lyndey’s Note: Orange blossom water is available from Middle Eastern food stores or gourmet delis. Ground almonds are also known as almond meal.

Watch this video here and subscribe to Lyndey’s YouTube channel as she prepares this dish featuring Kitchen Aid!