Blood orange and hazelnut cake
The blood orange season is short and sweet, so every time it comes around I pounce on them. I mean, how beautiful are these creatures? The colours are so spectacular and vibrant, it’s sometimes hard to believe that they are natural. The small amount of polenta in the batter brings a gorgeous texture to the crumb of this cake, and the combination of yoghurt and ground hazelnuts ensures the moisture is kept in and the shelf life is long — win-win. If you can’t get your hands on any blood oranges, regular oranges will suffice. I’ve also made this using mandarins, which, I must say, could rival the original.
SERVES 12–14 GENEROUSLY
INGREDIENTS
300g unsalted butter, softened
400g caster sugar
Zest and juice of 2 lemons and 2 blood oranges
6 eggs
125g thick Greek yoghurt, plus extra to serve
255g hazelnut meal
165g fine polenta
150g plain or gluten-free flour
1 tsp flaky salt
BLOOD ORANGE TOPPING
1 cup caster sugar125ml blood orange juice5–6 blood oranges, unpeeled, thinly
