Orange Scented Chocolate Almond Cake Kirkgaard Recipes

CLAUDIA RODEN'S ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Wash the oranges and simmer them, unpeeled, in water to cover for 2 hours. Cool, cut them open and remove the seeds. Puree the oranges, including the peel, in a food processor.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat the eggs in a food processor or large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, including the orange puree, and mix thoroughly. Pour into a buttered and floured cake tin, with a removable base if possible.
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before turning out.

ORANGE-SCENTED OLIVE-OIL CAKE WITH ORANGE COMPOTE AND GANACHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. With a vegetable peeler, remove peel from half of 1 orange, leaving pith. With a paring knife, cut rind into enough matchsticks to yield 1 tablespoon. Finely grate enough rind of remaining oranges to yield 1 packed tablespoon zest.
• Working over a bowl, cut segments of 3 oranges free of membranes. Squeeze juice from membranes into a bowl (you should have 1/4 cup juice). Cut segments in half, and place in bowl with matchsticks of orange peel; set aside.
• Combine sugar and zest in a bowl; using your fingers, rub together well. Add juice and buttermilk, and whisk to combine. Add eggs and oil, and whisk to combine. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; add to buttermilk mixture, whisking until smooth.
• Transfer batter to pan, and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack, and let cool completely, about 2 hours. (Undecorated cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
• Meanwhile, stir honey into bowl with orange segments.
• Bring cream to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate in a bowl, let stand for 5 minutes, and whisk until smooth. Drizzle ganache over cooled cake, and let set, about 1 hour. Serve with orange compote.

ORANGE-ALMOND CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) in strips from oranges. Coarsely chop enough peel to measure 1/2 cup. Combine flour, 1 cup almonds, baking powder and salt in processor; blend until finely ground. Transfer to medium bowl. Place 2 cups sugar and orange peel in processor; blend until peel is finely minced.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until blended. Add sugar mixture and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix milk and both extracts in small bowl. On low speed, beat flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each. Divide batter among prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Boil 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice and remaining generous 1 tablespoon sugar in small saucepan until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Brush warm juice mixture over tops of cooled cakes.
• Place 1 cake layer, orange syrup side up, on cake platter. Spread 1 cup Chocolate Icing over. Top with second cake layer, then 1 cup icing. Top with third cake layer, syrup side up. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.) Arrange additional almonds, orange triangles and mint leaves around top edge of cake. Slice cake and serve.

ORANGE CAKE WITH SEMOLINA AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Combine chopped oranges and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until oranges are soft and excess liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
• Place oranges in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, continuing to beat for 1 more minute.
• Beat egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a separate bowl until pale and thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in finely chopped oranges. Fold in ground almonds, semolina, vanilla extract, and fiori di Sicilia. Stir in 3 spoonfuls of whisked egg white to loosen the batter. Gently fold in remaining egg whites with a spatula or large metal spoon. Pour batter into prepared springform and level the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Check cake after 20 and 30 minutes to see if it is starting to brown too quickly. Cover top lightly with aluminum foil once cake starts to brown.
• Remove from oven and cool in the pan. Remove ring, peel away parchment paper and transfer cake to a serving plate. Drizzle with liqueur and dust with confectioners' sugar.

ORANGE-SCENTED CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE KIRKGAARD

Steps:

• In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water combine chocolate and cream, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Remove double boiler or bowl from heat and cool mixture. Chill filling 1 hour. Filling may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a buttered 8-inch round cake pan with wax paper and butter paper. Dust pan with flour, knocking out excess flour.
• On a baking sheet bake bread in oven until dry, about 5 minutes, and cool bread. In a food processor grind bread fine.
• In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate and 1/2 stick butter, stirring occasionally until smooth, and remove double boiler or bowl from heat. In a bowl whisk together bread crumbs, ground almonds, and cocoa powder.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together remaining 1/2 stick butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate mixture, zest, and bread crumb mixture until batter is smooth.
• In another large bowl with cleaned beaters beat whites on low speed until frothy. Increase speed to medium and beat until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat on high speed until stiff and glossy. Stir one fourth meringue into batter to lighten and fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.
• In cleaned bowl with cleaned beaters beat filling until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water combine glaze ingredients, stirring until smooth.
• Cut cake in half horizontally. On a cake plate spread filling between layers. Spread glaze over cake. Chill cake at least 1 hour and up to 4 before serving.

ORANGE-SCENTED ALMOND COOKIES: AMYGDALOTA ME ORANGE

Steps:

• Grind the almonds in a food processor until ground fine. Add in 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Put the almond mixture into a small saucepan on medium high heat. Add in the liquids and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Put aside to cool.
• Once cool, shape tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture into 1 1/2-inch-high pear shapes, wetting your fingers with the juice. Dredge each cookie in confectioners or granulated sugar to coat. Wrap individually in cellophane or place in a box with a lid. Let stand for at least 3 days before serving.