Week 9: Orange cake with pomegranate syrup and orange cream

This orange cake is one that I’ve been eyeing up for a while. I first saw it a few weeks ago but thought that I’d wait until I got some oranges fresh from my recent trip to Southern Spain, an area which is currently awash with oranges. I mean they’re just everywhere. In the interest of BBC-like total transparency and openness, I should say that the picture of me with oranges was in fact taken last year in February. The image had I taken one this year would have been much the same, though. Except I’d have been one year older, of course.

This is a very tasty one and is good by itself but with the cream is amazing. I over-cooked the syrup a  little (see below), and I think that had I got that right it would have been beyond tasty!

finely grated zest of 3 oranges	250g plain flour
5 tbsp freshly-squeezed orange juice	2tsp baking powder
100 ml sunflower oil	200g caster sugar
120 ml milk	100g ground almonds
3 eggs

pomegranate syrup	120 ml pure pomegranate juice
85g caster sugar	knob of butter
Juice 2 small oranges	pomegranite seeds (to decorate)

orange cream
175g mascarpone cheese	50g icing sugar
5 tbsp double cream	Finely grated zest of 1 orange

Grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment and pre-heat the oven to 180ᵒc. In a jug mix together the orange zest, orange juice, oil and milk. Then beat in the eggs.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar then stir in the almonds. Make a well in teh centre the pour in the orange mixture and beat with an electric whisk until smooth and well mixed. Transfer to a prepared tin and level the surface.

Cook for about one hour (cover with foil if browning) or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool slightly then remove from the tin.

While it’s baking, make the syrup and cream. For the syrup gently heat the juices until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil until reduced slightly and syrupy. Be careful that you don’t reduce it too much and heat it too much or else it’ll turn into a type of pomegranate toffee – tasty enough but not right here. Whisk in the butter, pout into a jug and set aside.

Make the cream by beating the mascarpone, double cream and icing sugar until very smooth. Now stir in the orange zest and chill until required. This stuff is gorgeous!

Serve a slice with a good dollop of cream an d a drizzle or syrup. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds to decorate.

Today's Learning:
It's all so tasty, what to say? The mascarpone, cream and icing sugar with orange zest is amazing. Serve it with any dessert that could take a zingy cream.

Recipe taken from: BBC Masterchef (2012) MasterChef Everyday. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited