Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Bake

Orange and almond cake served with clotted cream

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Orange and Almond Cake

Whole oranges are the secret to this simple Orange and Almond Cake. Boil them until completely soft, then blitz the whole lot, peel and all. Ground almonds give the cake its lovely moist texture, while the orange brings loads of flavour without the need for a syrup. Bake it gently in the Charlie, dust with icing sugar and serve with a big spoonful of clotted cream.

Tresillian HouseCharlie Oven Retreat, Cornwall
Bake
Prep20 minutes plus boiling and cooling the oranges
Cook1 hour 5 minutes
Serves8 to 10
DifficultyMedium
Oven temperature165 to 170°C (330 to 340°F)
RackSpringform tin on the middle rack, away from direct heat
CharcoalAbout half a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal, not a fierce fire

Charlie Oven — https://charlieoven.com/en-au/blogs/charcoal-recipes/orange-almond-cake

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Ingredients

8 to 10 servings

Method

Method

  1. Cook the oranges

    Put the whole oranges in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1½ to 2 hours, until completely soft. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle. Cut the oranges open and remove any pips. Use everything else: flesh, peel and pith. Blitz to a thick orange purée. It doesn't need to be completely smooth.

  2. Set up your Charlie Oven

    Light your Charlie with lumpwood charcoal and bring the temperature to 165 to 170°C (330 to 340°F). You want steady, even heat for this cake, so don't build a fierce fire. Position a rack around the middle of the oven, away from the direct heat of the charcoal. Grease and line the base and sides of a deep 20cm springform cake tin.

  3. Make the cake

    Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the sugar and whisk for 3 to 4 minutes until pale, thick and noticeably aerated. Fold in the orange purée, followed by the ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Fold gently until evenly combined. Pour into the prepared tin and level the top.

  4. Bake in the Charlie

    Put the cake on the middle rack and bake at 165 to 170°C (330 to 340°F) for around 55 to 65 minutes. Start checking it at 50 minutes. The top should be golden, the centre should feel set and the cake may just be starting to pull away from the sides of the tin. Push a skewer into the centre. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the top is colouring too quickly before the centre is cooked, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking.
    60 min timer

  5. Cool

    Leave the cake in the tin for about 15 minutes before carefully removing the sides. Let it cool completely before serving. Don't worry if it settles slightly as it cools. This isn't meant to be a light sponge. The ground almonds and whole oranges give it a naturally moist, slightly dense texture.
    15 min timer

  6. Serve

    Dust well with icing sugar and serve with clotted cream. That's it. It doesn't need a syrup or anything else added to it.

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The cook

Tresillian House

Charlie Oven Retreat, Cornwall

Tresillian House is a beautiful country house in Cornwall and the home of our annual Charlie Oven retreat. With great food, warm hospitality and a stunning setting, it’s the perfect place to cook, connect and be inspired.

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Frequently asked questions

  • Do I really use the whole orange, peel and all?

    Yes. Simmer the whole oranges until completely soft, remove any pips, then blitz the flesh, peel and pith into a thick purée. That is what gives the cake its flavour without needing a syrup.

  • How long do the oranges need to boil?

    Simmer them gently for 1½ to 2 hours, until completely soft. Drain and leave them until cool enough to handle before cutting them open. You can do this ahead so the purée is ready when you bake.

  • How do I know the orange and almond cake is cooked?

    Start checking at 50 minutes. The top should be golden, the centre set, and a skewer pushed into the middle should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. It usually takes 55 to 65 minutes at 165 to 170°C (330 to 340°F).

  • Why is my almond cake dense rather than light?

    That is how it should be. The ground almonds and whole oranges give a naturally moist, slightly dense texture, and it may settle a little as it cools. It is not meant to be a light sponge.