Moroccan Orange Cardamom Cake Food

MOROCCAN ORANGE & CARDAMOM CAKE

Steps:

• Put the whole oranges in a pan, cover with water and boil, covered, for 1 hr until a knife easily pierces them. If the oranges won't stay under the water, place a small saucepan lid directly on top to keep them submerged. Remove the oranges from the water and cool, then quarter and remove any seeds and obvious pith where the stalk was. Blitz the oranges to a rough purée with a hand blender or in a food processor and put in a large bowl.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and line the base and sides of a 21cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Beat the cardamom, xylitol and eggs into the orange purée, then mix the ground almonds with the polenta, flour and baking powder, and fold in until well blended. Scrape the mixture into the tin, level the top and bake for 40 mins.
• After 40 minutes, scatter over the almonds, quickly return to the oven and bake 20-25 mins more until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the tin and leave to cool. Serve sliced as a cake, or with Greek yogurt or cream as a dessert.

MOROCCAN ORANGE & CARDAMOM CAKE, SWEETENED WITH XYLITOL

Steps:

• Put the whole oranges in a pan, cover with water and boil, covered, for 1 hr until a knife easily pierces them. If the oranges won't stay under the water, place a small saucepan lid directly on top to keep them submerged. Remove the oranges from the water and cool, then quarter and remove any seeds and obvious pith where the stalk was. Blitz the oranges to a rough purée with a hand blender or in a food processor and put in a large bowl.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and line the base and sides of a 21cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Beat the cardamom, xylitol and eggs into the orange purée, then mix the ground almonds with the polenta, flour and baking powder, and fold in until well blended. Scrape the mixture into the tin, level the top and bake for 40 minutes.
• After 40 minutes, scatter over the almonds, quickly return to the oven and bake 20-25 mins more until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the tin and leave to cool.
• Serve sliced as a cake, or with Greek yogurt or cream as a dessert.
• Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2015.

MESKOUTA (MOROCCAN ORANGE CAKE)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan with olive oil, and line it with a sheet of parchment paper so that you have extra on the sides. (You'll use this to lift the loaf out of the pan.)
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. In another large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs until well combined. Add the yogurt, olive oil, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla extract to the sugar and egg mixture, and whisk until well incorporated.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix using a spatula until you no longer see flecks of flour, making sure not to overmix. (The batter will be slightly lumpy.) Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and use a spatula to spread into an even layer.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with some small, moist crumbs. (If the cake needs another minute or two, but is becoming too brown, tent with foil.) Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before using the parchment overhang to remove from the pan.
• Make the optional whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the cream and the confectioners' sugar for about 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high until medium peaks begin to form. You want a spreading consistency. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to serve the cake.
• To serve, cut the cake in slices, top with whipped cream, if using, and garnish with chocolate shavings, if using. Alternatively, you can also top the whole cake with whipped cream, then slice it. Without the whipped cream, the cake keeps for up to 5 days in an airtight container on the counter.

EASY MOROCCAN ORANGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C).
• Grease and flour a tube pan. If using fresh oranges, zest and juice them.
• With an electric mixer or by hand, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick. Gradually beat in the oil.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, and then the orange juice. Beat until smooth, and then mix in the zest and vanilla.
• Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake tests done.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 7 to 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.
• Garnish with slivered almonds and powdered sugar if desired.

MOROCCAN ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Grate the rind from the orange, reserving some for decoration and squeeze the juice from one half.
• Place butter,orange rind and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, gradually beat in eggs.
• In a seperate bowl, mix the semolina, ground almonds and baking powder, then fold in the creamed mixture with the orange juice. Spoon the batter into a greased and base - lined pan.
• Bake in a preheated oven @ 350F, for 30 to 40 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
• To make the syrup:.
• Place the orange juice, sugar and cardamom pods in a pan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and let simmer for ca. 4 minutes or until syrupy.
• Turn the cake out into a deep serving dish.
• Using a skewer, make holes over the surface of the warm cake.
• Strain the syrup into a separate bowl and spoon 3/4 of it over the cake.
• Dust with confectioners sugar and cut into slices.

MOROCCAN ORANGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease and flour a tube pan. If using fresh oranges, zest and juice them.
• With an electric mixer or by hand, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick. Gradually beat in the oil.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, and then the orange juice. Beat until smooth, and then mix in the zest and vanilla.
• Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake tests done.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 7 to 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.
• Here's the orginal MOROCCAN MEASUREMENTS:.
• 4 eggs.
• 1 soup bowl of sugar.
• 1 tea glass of vegetable oil.
• 1 soup bowl of flour.
• 2 sachets of baking powder.
• pinch of salt.
• 1 tea glass of fresh orange juice.
• zest from 1 or 2 oranges.
• 1 sachet of vanilla sugar.