Flourless orange cake

Ingredients

• 4 oranges
• 100g brown sugar
• 400g caster sugar
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups (250g) ground almonds
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 250g mascarpone whipped with 2 tbs thickened cream

Method 

1. Place 2 oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, topping up water if necessary. Drain, reserving liquid, then cool slightly and roughly chop, discarding seeds.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 25cm cake pan.

3. Place brown sugar and 200g caster sugar in a food processor, add eggs and process until thick and pale. Add chopped orange and whiz until smooth, then add ground almonds and baking powder. Whiz until combined. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, place reserved liquid in a saucepan, topping up with water if necessary to make 3 cups (750ml). Add the juice of 1 orange and remaining 200g caster sugar, then cook, stirring, over low heat until sugar dissolves. Thinly slice remaining orange, add to syrup and simmer for 10 minutes or until soft.

5. Cool the cake in the pan, then slice and serve with the mascarpone cream, orange syrup and orange slices.