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Sponge Cake, Orange-Almond (D/P, KLP, TNT)
Source: New York Times, April 5, 2006, adapted from Tamasin Day-Lewis
Serves: 8 to 10

Cake:
Butter or margarine to grease pan
1 tablespoon matzo cake meal
8 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
Zest of 2 oranges, grated
2 teaspoons cinnamon
8 ounces almonds, blanched

Syrup:
3 to 4 oranges
12 mandarin oranges
3/4 cup sugar

Cream Topping:
1 cup whipping cream, or KLP non-dairy whipped topping
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out with teaspoon
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Make Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10" springform pan and sprinkle with matzo cake meal.

In medium bowl, mix egg yolks, sugar, grated orange zest, and cinnamon, and beat well.

Place half the almonds in food processor and pulverize. Add remaining almonds and pulse until coarsely chopped. Stir into egg yolk mixture.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter and pour into pan.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center.

Make Syrup:
Meanwhile, squeeze oranges and mandarins for about 3 cups juice and pour into small saucepan with 3/4 cup sugar. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Simmer gently until liquid has reduced by half and is a sticky syrup. Keep warm enough not to set.

When cake is tepid, remove to large plate with lip and make holes with toothpick or skewer all over it, right through to bottom. Pour syrup onto cake so it absorbs it all. There will be a sticky pink moat around it; let it sit for a few hours, occasionally spooning more syrup over surface.

Make Cream Topping:
Pour cream or non-dairy topping into bowl with vanilla seeds and sugar and whisk until sloppily firm. Pour in orange liqueur, and whisk until soft. Serve alongside cake.

Posted by Paul Dunetz

Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A