A gluten and dairy free cake which is best served the day after making to allow the flavour to develop. This is another BBC recipe and is a firm favourite.
Ingredients
5 egg whites from local eggs (at room temperature)
pinch of salt
75g/3oz organic, fair trade or unbleached caster sugar (from the wholefood co-op)
175g/6oz organic ground almonds (from the wholefood co-op)
1 orange, zest only, grated
1 tbsp orange liqueur (optional)
25g/1oz organic slivered almonds (from the wholefood co-op)
1tsp almond extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
Grease and line a 20cm/8in springform cake tin.
Whisk the egg whites with the salt until they stand in soft peaks. Whisking constantly, add the sugar a little at a time. Continue whisking until the mixture is firm, shiny and very thick.
Fold in the ground almonds,almond extract, orange zest and the liqueur, if using, with a metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and sprinkle the slivered almonds over the top.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to stand in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen, turn out and leave to cool on a wire rack.
