Home Baker of The Year 2009 Runner Up

(Back to list of finalists recipes 2009)

Orange Sunburst Cake
by Magda Allani

An incredibly moist and moreish cake, very healthy, makes the taste-buds zing (pardon the pun) and keeps very well so long as people manage to keep away from it!

2 large oranges
6 eggs
250 g (8 oz) ground almonds
250 g (8 oz) light brown soft sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
100g 70% grade chocolate
100g fondant icing sugar
Butter and flour, for cake tin
25cm round baking tin with knock-out base

1. Wash oranges, and place unpeeled in heavy pan with a little water. Leave to simmer on low heat for two hours (or half an hour in a pressure cooker). Remove from water. When cool, remove pips and stalk and liquidise. In the absence of a blender, they can be rubbed through a sieve. Set aside. This can be done in advance and pulp left in the fridge.
2. line base of tin with greaseproof paper. Thinly smear paper and sides of tin with butter. Dust base and sides with flour.
3. Set aside 5 tablespoons of orange pulp.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients, including most of orange pulp. Mix thoroughly and pour into a buttered and floured cake tin with a removable base if possible.
5. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190C/375F/Mark 5) for about 1 hour. If it is still very wet, leave it in the oven for a little longer. Cool in the tin before turning out.
6. When cake is cool, mix remaining orange pulp with 4 heaped tablespoons of fondant icing. Spread over top of cake.
7. Melt chocolate in a basin over hot water (a bain-marie). Spoon over top and sides of cake.
8. Refrigerate. Best eaten next day.
9. ENJOY!!!

Further information: www.homebake.co.uk