Citrus and Roasted Nut Cake

, from Issue #62. January, 2016
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Citrus and Roasted Nut Cake

A delicious, moist cake with filled with citrus zest, roasted nuts and a lovely tart layer of lemon curd and clouds of cream. I’ve added fresh raspberries and a tumble of freeze-dried mandarins for a final flourish.

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

Cake
7 x #7 eggs (large)
¾ cup caster sugar
⅓ cup caster sugar
150 grams finely ground, roasted nuts (use your favourite combination or a single variety. I used almonds and hazelnuts)
½ cup desiccated coconut
finely grated zest 2 oranges and 1 lemon

To assemble
1 cup good quality lemon curd
1¼ cups cream, softly whipped
1 punnet fresh raspberries
6 freeze-dried mandarin segments, optional
icing sugar, to dust

2 x 20cm cake tins, greased and bases lined with baking paper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Cake: Separate the eggs and put the whites and yolks in two separate large bowls.

Beat the egg yolks with the ¾ cup of caster sugar until very thick and pale. Stir in the nuts, coconut and all the zest. The mixture will be very thick.

Beat the egg whites until frothy then gradually beat in the  cup of caster sugar until thick and glossy. Use a large metal spoon to stir a large spoonful of the egg whites into the nut mixture to loosen it.

Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in 3 batches.

Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the cakes have pulled away from the sides of the tins and are golden and firm to the touch. Set aside to cool.

To assemble: Place one cake on a serving plate and spread with the lemon curd. Dollop half of the cream over the top and spread evenly. Top with the second cake. Spread with the remaining cream and scatter over the raspberries. Gently crush the mandarin segments over the top and dust with icing sugar.