Happy Birthday Mum, I made me some cake for you

This cake is divine. Bitter and sweet, crunchy and moist, fragrant, wholesome and delicious. I’ve known about Orange and Almond Cake for as long as I can know, see, it’s my mum’s favourite, and I baked it today for her birthday (Happy Birthday Mum!). But really I made it for me, see my Mum lives in Vietnam (Vietnam!), and she won’t be able to enjoy it. This evocative flavour reminds me of her birthdays past, maybe I’ll make it for her when I visit later in the year

Boiling the fruit and using it whole adds a bitterness, but the long cooking time removes the unpleasantness usually, and rightly, associated with raw citrus pith. The process also adds a depth of flavour that can’t be replicated with just juice and zest. Combined with whole almonds, blended, this cake tastes real, which I think is why Mum lives it so much.

Normally it is made flour-free, but I added a little in here to strengthen the mix, and ensure that these little cakes would hold together nicely.

Almost Flourless Mandarin and Almond Cakes
Adapted from Claudia Roden’s Book of Middle Eastern food.
(makes about 18 medium muffin sized cakes, or one large cake)

1 3/4 cups ground almonds (roughly blended whole raw almonds)
1/4 cup plain flour
5 large eggs
2 large mandarins
1 cup caster sugar
1t Baking powder

Preheat oven to 200C, grease two 12 cup muffin tins well.
Wash and scrub two large mandarins, and place in pan, cover with water and simmer for 2 hours. Remove, cool and remove all seeds. Blend to a pulp.
In a separate bowl whisk eggs, then mix in remainder of the ingredients. Spoon into muffin tins and cook for about 15 mins, or until just set.
Cool in the tin and gently remove.
Serve with cream, yoghurt or ice cream.