(Serves 4 to 6)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons orange juice, divided
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup finely ground blanched almonds
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur such as Grand Marnier
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour an eight-inch round cake pan.
Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat the eggs until light.
Gradually beat in all but two tablespoons of the sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in three tablespoons of the orange juice, then gradually beat in the olive oil.
Stir in the ground almonds and the orange peel.
Gently stir in the flour mixture.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake is golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.
Remove the cake from the pan and place on a wire rack.
Dissolve the remaining sugar, orange juice, and orange liqueur in a small saucepan.
Bring to a simmer and cook about two minutes, until the mixture turns syrupy.
Brush the glaze over the hot cake and allow to cool about one hour before serving.
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I am going to cheat and buy a couple of frozen desserts for the guys who hate almonds from a local Italian pizzeria....hahahah...just as a back up in case they hate my cake, this and detect the almonds in it.
See, I can be thoughtful.
You watch, I bet they back up for seconds when it comes to this almond cake, I wont even tell them whats in it.
So they will get 2 desserts.
hmmm!!
*more grumbles*
...anyway, have to go ground some almonds, ta ta....