Orange Almond Cake
Recently I re-created a meal I’d enjoyed at a country restaurant in the Tuscan hills. The flavors were typical of that region, vibrant and straightforward. My guests, all real meat-lovers, had no idea they were eating vegetarian.
The pasta with porcini mushrooms is a perfect cold-weather dish and reheats well, so it can be done ahead. The antipasto should be made at least a day ahead for the ingredients to develop their full flavor.
A green salad sprinkled with Gorgonzola cheese would make a nice transition to the dessert, an orange almond cake that is showered with powdered sugar just before serving, rather than frosted. As for the wine, Chianti goes well with this entire menu.
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Mandel is a cookbook author.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9- or 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Fit the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and butter the paper. Set the pan aside.
Place the crumbs, almonds, orange zest, baking powder and sugar in a food processor. Process until the almonds are as fine as sugar.
Add the butter, egg yolks, lemon juice, marmalade and salt to taste. Process the mixture until it’s very smooth, about 1 minute, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Transfer the batter to a bowl.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks-they should hold their shape but still be moist. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites. Spoon the batter into the prepared springform pan and spread the top to smooth it evenly.
Bake the cake until it’s browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. It’s OK if the cake is slightly sunken in the center. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack before removing it from the pan. (The cake can be stored overnight at room temperature, covered, or it can be frozen up to 1 month, covered airtight. If frozen, bring it to room temperature while it’s still wrapped.)
To serve, transfer the cake to a platter and gently press down on the edges of the cake to make them level with the center. Shake the powdered sugar through a strainer over the top of the cake. Cut it into wedges and serve.
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