ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE WITH BERRY COMPOTE

This cake is made without flour, making it a perfect dessert for people who are celiac. It is super easy to make and it's just beautiful.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups (350g) almond meal

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

350 g brown sugar

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon and 2 oranges

8 eggs

400 ml sunflower oil

6 whole cloves

1 cinnamon quill

Berry compote

1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar

1 cinnamon quill

2 cups (300g)  frozen berries

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170C.

Grease a 23cm springform cake pan and line the base with baking powder.

Place the almond meal, cinnamon, baking powder,  300g sugar and citrus zest in a large bowl.

Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and oil.

Mix well with a wooden spoon until combined. Spread in the prepared pan, then bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

(Cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly.)

Meanwhile, place the citrus juices in a small pan with the cloves, cinnamon and remaining 50g sugar. Stir over low heat to dissolve the sugar, then increase heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes until slightly reduced. 

Remove the cake from the oven, pierce all over with a skewer, then pour over the syrup. 

Stand for 1 hour.

For the berry compote, place the sugar in a pan with 1 cup (250 ml) water and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

Add the cinnamon, then simmer for 2 minutes or until thickened slightly.

Add the berries and cook for 3-4 minutes (longer if they are still frozen) until the berries have plumped and are starting to burst.

Remove the berries with a slotted spoon, then increase the heat to high and simmer the syrup for a further 5 minutes or until thickened. Pour over the berries and allow to cool.

When ready to serve, transfer the cooled cake to a serving platter, then top with the berry compote and syrup.

I personally prefer to serve the compote on the side if you think you are going to have leftover cake. Otherwise it gets too wet to have it another day.

Serves 8