Spiced Orange and Olive Oil Dessert Cake with Botrytis Oranges

The texture of this dessert cake is very moist, almost fudge-like, and has a lovely crust on top. It is quite likely to crack and crumble around the edges, but that makes it all the more delicious.

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients:
3 medium (720g) oranges
2/3 cup (160ml) botrytis Semillon (dessert wine)
1 cup (110g) walnuts pieces
3 eggs
1¼ cups (275g) caster sugar
½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
Icing sugar, to serve
Whipped cream, yoghurt or mascarpone, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C fan-forced). Grease and line the base of a deep 22cm round cake or springform tin.
2. Grate the zest from the oranges until you have one tablespoon. Reserve. Peel the oranges, removing all traces of white pith, and cut into segments, slicing between the membranes. Reserve segments. Put any juice in a small saucepan with 1/3 cup dessert wine and place over high heat and boil until reduced and syrupy. Pour over orange segments and cool.
3. Grind the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground but not powdery. Alternatively place the walnuts in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin until finely ground.
4. For the cake, beat eggs, sugar and reserved orange zest in a large bowl for 5 minutes or until thick and creamy. Fold in olive oil and remaining 1/3 cup dessert wine, then self raising flour, spices and crushed walnuts.
5. Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked when tested. Stand for ten minutes before turning onto a rack to cool. Turn out and dredge with icing sugar.
6. Serve sliced with orange segments and cream, if desired.

*Note: Australian measurements 1 tablespoon = 20ml are used throughout.

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