I just love citrus – maybe it’s because I live in the Sunshine State (FL) & getting fresh citrus fruits all year around isn’t much of an issue. So I try to make good use of all local, fresh seasonal products & using plenty of citrus ranks high on that list ☺.

Oranges are thought to have originated in Southeast Asia thousands of years ago. This sweet and juicy fruit is chock full of nutritional value being a very rich source of both Vitamin C and dietary fiber. Oranges are thought to play a key role in overall cardiovascular health, immune support and respiratory health. Oranges also have cholesterol lowering and antioxidant benefits. Tangerines & clementines are just distant cousins of the orange, only smaller in size & much easier to peel.

My delicious Citrus Honey Cake can be made using small oranges, tangerines or clementines. You can also make this delectable dessert using a combination of various citrus if you like, just make sure you are using either sweet citrus fruit or slightly tart/sweet citrus fruits (such as limes). This recipe is inspired by & adapted from Nigella Lawson ☺.


CITRUS HONEY CAKE

Ingredients:

1 lb of your favorite citrus fruit (or a combination of various citrus fruit)
6 medium eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp orange blossom honey
2 1/3 cups finely ground almonds
1 heaping tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cardamom powder
¼ tsp ground allspice powder
½ ground cinnamon
powdered sugar for dusting
toasted sliced almonds for garnish

METHOD:

First, add your citrus fruit to a large pot filled with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a gentle boil and let cook for about 2 hours or until your citrus is very tender. Then drain well & allow the citrus to cool. Once cooled, cut each citrus fruit in half & remove all of the seeds. Then finely chop the entire citrus fruit in large pieces & process in a food processor until you have a smooth thick puree. Now you are going to be processing the skins & the pith of fruit as well – but don’t worry, it’s good fiber ☺.

Next, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Also, butter & line the bottom of a 9-inch Springform pan with buttered parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs with the sugar, honey, ground almonds, baking powder & spices (ground cardamom powder, ground allpsice powder & ground cinnamon. Mix well by hand until all of the ingredients are combined & then add in the citrus puree. Then pour the batter into the prepared Springform pan & bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You will need to cover the top of the cake loosely with aluminum foil after 20-25 of baking time to prevent burning.

When done, remove the pan from the oven & allow it to cool on a rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, then dust the top with a little powdered sugar & the toasted almond slices before serving.



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