Mini Flourless Orange & Cardamon Cakes

It’s the middle of our relatively short blood orange season, so I’m buying them while I can. Despite their gruesome name, blood oranges are a wonderfully sweet and beautifully coloured citrus fruit. They tend to be a bit smaller than regular oranges, the inside flesh is a brilliant dark pink, maroon, or even dark blood red. They are one of the most versatile citrus fruits, and can be used as a substitute for most citrus varieties including oranges, lemons and limes. I have used them in this recipe, just for a change, and of course this is a gluten- free recipe too.

Ingredients

• 2 oranges, 3 if small
• 250g caster sugar
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups (250g) almond meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cardamon
• 3/4 cup almond flakes, toasted
• ** The Icing
• 500g icing sugar, sifted
• 125g cream cheese, room temperature
• juice & zest of 2 oranges
• 25g butter, softened

Method

The Oranges

1. Place the oranges in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and and simmer for 1 hour or until soft. Drain, and discard the water.
2. This can be done a day ahead, just store them in the fridge.

The Cakes

1. Preheat oven to 170C, fan-forced, grease the holes of muffin pans or line with paper cases.
2. My silicone mini muffin pan has 24 holes, each holding about 30ml or 2 tbs. There was also enough mixture to fill 6 larger friand moulds.
3. Quarter the oranges and remove the core or any seeds.
4. Blitz in a food processor until smooth.
5. Add the sugar and blitz again.
6. Add the eggs and process until just combined.
7. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in the almond meal, cardamon and baking powder.
8. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes.
9. Cool slightly in the pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Spread the top of each cake - I turned mine upside-down - with icing and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

For the Icing

1. Process all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Notes

If you have any icing left over, store it in a zip-lock bag in the freezer. Great for that time you forget to buy the cream cheese.

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