Orange and Ginger Cake
From Chocolate and Zucchini
Ingredients
For the cake:
3small oranges or 2 large orangespreferably organic
6eggs
250g1-1/3 cups sugar
250g1-1/3 cups almond flour or almond meal
Thumb-sized knob of fresh ginger
1/4Ccandied ginger
1teaspoonbaking powder
For the glaze:
Zest and juice of a lemon
60g1/3 cup thick sugar crystals, the type used as a topping for chouquettes or brioches
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease a 24 cm (8-inch) springform cake pan.
Clean and scrub the oranges well. Put them in a medium saucepan, and cover with water. Put the saucepan over medium heat, and simmer for two hours, adding a little hot water when the level gets too low (note : you may, like me, find the smell of whole oranges boiling very unpleasant, but it has nothing to do with the smell or taste of the finished product). Drain, and let cool. Cut in quarters and puree in the food processor.
Peel and chop the fresh ginger. Cut the candied ginger in small dice. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Whisk in the orange puree, the sugar, the almonds, the baking powder, the fresh ginger, until well blended. Fold in the bits of candied ginger.
Pour the batter in the cake pan, and bake for about an hour, until puffy and golden. Let cool for a few minutes on a rack, while you prepare the frosting. Run a knife around the cake to loosen it, and remove the sides of the pan.
Put the sugar crystals in a small bowl with the lemon juice and zest. Spoon this mixture evenly onto the top of the cake. Let cool completely before serving. It can be made a day ahead, wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator.