This is Ambrosia

My friend Cecilia is a wonderful cook. She invites me over to help her make a wheat-free orange and almond cake. As Cecilia rattles the pots and pans I recline on her couch. When I next open my eyes a heavenly aroma of sweet oranges fills the house and three cakes are cooling on racks in front of the kitchen window. Cecilia gives me a whole cake to take home, despite not having lifted a finger to help.

Here is the recipe:

Use everything organic, if possible

2 large or 3 medium oranges

6 eggs

8oz (250 gms) of ground almonds

8oz (250 gms) of sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

butter and flour to prepare the cake tin

Cover the whole oranges with water in a big saucepan and boil them for one hour. Cool them off a bit then cut them in half and dig out any pips. Put the oranges, skin and all, into a food processor and puree.

Preheat the oven to 190ºC / 375ºF / Gas mark 5

Beat the eggs in a large bowl then add the ground almonds, baking powder, sugar and orange puree. Mix it all well with a wooden spoon.

Butter a cake tin and then sprinkle it with flour. Bang off any excess flour.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for one hour. If it is still wet after and hour just cook it for a bit longer. Allow the cake to cool completely then bang the tin and turn it out onto a plate.

Cecilia served the cake whilst it was still just warm with crème fraiche, fresh blueberries and a sauce made from:

Juice of three oranges

1 tablespoon (2 dessertspoons) of icing sugar

2 teaspoons of rosewater

This is ambrosia.

p.s. I am posting all the recipes that appear on this blog on the Chemo Chic facebook page. Click on the facebook button on the right to go there.