​Orange and almond cake

By Liane Arno

I’VE just renewed my food safety supervisor training.  For those who haven’t worked in the food industry you would be shocked (and hopefully reassured) by the number of processes that food handlers need to follow in order to ensure the meals served to you won’t poison you.  The ways in which people can be killed from eating are numerous and the new rules place significant obligations on businesses to ensure that they label all ingredients to ensure that those with food allergies can ascertain whether the consumption of the food stuff will result in their discomfort if not demise.

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For many it is not going to kill them – but will cause bloating, pain and indigestion.  One of the most common is an intolerance to gluten.  The most severe – coeliac disease – necessitates a lifelong abstinence from gluten which causes not only digestive problems to the sufferer but also headaches, fatigue, joint pain and anaemia.  Even a trace of gluten (for example making a sandwich with gluten-free bread on the same breadboard that you have used for another customer’s sourdough sandwich) can cause them harm.  Those who have an intolerance to gluten do not suffer to the same degree – but explain that to them as they suffer abdominal pain.

I have a lot of sympathy for them as a human being.  As a sometime cook and caterer it is challenging, to say the least, and I have been known to curse them silently under my breath. The reason is that I like to make tasty food and like nothing more than making cakes, bread and pizza dough.  I find it's sometimes difficult to make gluten-free taste any good.

But I think there are absolutely no problems with anyone enjoying the orange and almond cake detailed below.

Bring to the boil and then simmer in a saucepan full of water for one hour

• 2 large navel oranges

Make sure to keep them covered in water.  After boiling, take out the oranges, pop onto a cutting board and reserve the liquid for making overnight oats or for drinking.  After the oranges have cooled, chop them up and remove the seeds.  Blend in a food processor until smooth.

Separately in a mixer, blend until pale and smooth

• 5 eggs
• 1¼ cups of caster sugar

Fold in

• 2½ cups of almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Orange pulp

Bake for 1½ hours at 180 degrees.  Dust with icing sugar and serve with a dollop of cream.