Orange Almond Cake

Period: Medieval in Spain, Italy, Middle East

Sources: (I need to do research)

 1 lb whole oranges, left whole
6 eggs
2 cups almond meal
1 cup raw sugar
1 tsp baking powder

Place the oranges (I used 1 small sweet orange, 3 tiny lemons, and a grapefruit) in a saucepan and barely cover them with water. Bring to a boil, lower the water to a simmer and leave on low heat, covered, for 1 hour. (I saw a recipe that said they can be microwaved in a covered container for 8 minutes instead of boiling, but I haven't tried it.) When done, remove the oranges from the pan and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter and flour, with semolina flour, a 10-inch springform tin. 

Chop the fruit into chunks, removing seeds. Puree them in a blender. Make sure they are completely pureed and there are no chunks of peel. Measure 3 cups of fruit puree and discard any extra. Then thoroughly blend the eggs with the 3 cups of fruit.

In a large bowl, mix the almond meal, sugar and baking powder, then stir in the egg-orange mixture, just until it is mixed. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes. The cake is done when it turns a deep golden brown, has come away slightly from the sides of the tin, and a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before turning it out gently on the serving plate. It is good served plain, or with cream or syrup.  It can be stored in the refrigerator.