It is February at Food on Fifth so it is time for another Blood Orange recipe. In past years I have shared “Tiny Blood Orange Curd Meringue Tartlets to Celebrate Lunar Eclipses”, “Blood Oranges, Poundless Poundcakes & a Poem”, “Blood Orangecello & Bootlegging” and “Bloody Sweet Orange Tartlets” all using the crimson jewel of the citrus world, the Blood Orange.
My grandson, Baylor, was hanging out at our house recently. I suggested we make a cake with the blood oranges piled on my kitchen counter. I had some almond flour and lots of eggs left over from a photo shoot so this is where we started. I zested 2 of the blood oranges, passing them to Baylor who juiced them. I showed him how to separate eggs…yolks from the whites and he was an instant pro. I have to say it is fun to have a “sous chef” around to help out! We talked a lot while we worked, about cooking and life, family and the future.
The week before was my birthday week and these white roses, which were a gift, looked so beautiful against the dark background and the blood oranges. Baylor also acted as my photo assistant! He has been around studios and photo shoots his entire life so he pretty much knows what to do.
While the cake was baking I sliced 2 additional blood oranges, adding them to a skillet sprinkled generously with sugar set over medium low heat to candy. When ready I placed them on a cooling rack to drain.
Here is the cake still warm from the oven with the candied blood orange slices added to the top.
A bit of powdered sugar is always magical.
A very moist almond cake with the aroma and flavor of blood oranges. Baylor got the first piece and a few other slices to take home. Truly a cake made with love! Really isn’t this what February 14th is all about?
Blood Orange Sponge Cake topped with Candied Blood Orange Slices
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup of superfine sugar
- 6 eggs, separated
- zest of 2 blood oranges
- juice of 2 blood oranges
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 additional blood oranges sliced for candying
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease & flour a 9 inch round springform pan.
- Cream the butter and sugar together using a stand or hand mixer.
- Add egg yolk, blood orange zest & blood orange juice & mix well. Scrape down sides of pan when needed.
- In another bowl whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Add to the egg yolk mixture.
- Whisk together the almond & all-purpose flours & fold into the egg mixture.
- Scrape batter into the springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Turn oven down to 325 degrees & bake for another 35-40 minutes or until middle is set.
- Place cake in pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Remove pan sides.
- While cake is in the oven place the slices of 2 blood oranges in a flat bottom pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup granulated sugar over medium low heat to candy the slices. When blood orange slices are candied place on a wire rack over a baking sheet to cool.
- Top cake with candied blood orange slices and any syrup left in the pan. Serve as is cut into slices. A sprinkling of powdered sugar is also very nice.
Lucky you to have a sous chef! Looks like he’s talented already! Beautiful cake with my favorite, blood oranges. Were the candied oranges easy to cut and bite into? I made a similar cake with olive oil,
https://frenchgardenerdishes.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/olive-oil-cake-with-candied-blood-oranges/
last month and the oranges were hard to bite and cut. When eating you either got a huge piece of orange or none at all. I wondered if you had any advice? Thanks!
Johanne I am not sure but perhaps I cooked mine longer or they were softer oranges to begin with. I also did not let them get to the hard candy stage. Try that next time. I love you cake. So pretty. I also appreciate you very much and your comments on my posts. Stay warm.
Thank you Teresa! I think I may have got mine to the candy stage. I will try again and cook the citrus a shorter time. Aprreciate your expert feedback:) enjoy your weekend!
That is indeed a beautiful cake. Baking with children is so much fun. I soak my sliced blood oranges overnight when I make my marmalade.
Hi and thanks for your nice comments. I also soak my oranges overnight when making marmalade and this softens them wonderfully for the next stage of the process. Thanks and I want you to know how very much I enjoy your blog.
i’m definitely buying the blood oranges at this week’s farmers market….i won’t pass them by like i did last week!!!
Hi Barbara, sometimes we just juice them and have for breakfast. The season is so short for the lovelies that I try to eat all of them I can afford! You probably have more readily available in California than we do here in Tennessee. Looking forward to your visit this Spring.
Oh my gosh – this looks amazing!
What a beautiful cake – perfect for the time of year.
Maylily & Frugal Feeding, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. Much appreciated. Stay cozy.
Reblogged this on ushatoo2015 and commented:
Beautiful colorful pictures are very inviting.
Thanks for the reblog. Much appreciated.
another crimson beauty for the February files! no doubt Baylor was a terrific assistant.
Yes, Nance, Baylor is a great assistant. He peeled, squeezed, talked, chopped, talked, held my white card while I took photos and talked…we had a great time as we always do when spending time in the kitchen together. Lots of stories and laughs. You have this to look forward to with Zachary one day!
Saw some beautiful blood oranges last weekend and immediately thought of you! Baylor sounds like a super young man who is going to break hearts with his kitchen and styling skills. Your cake looks too good to eat really! Love almonds and oranges together – and very magical with a dusting of icing sugar. I’ve made a lovely blood orange salad with you in mind, which I will blog this week. Enjoy the season while it lasts x
Selma, yes Grandson Baylor is pretty special and we have always had lots of fun together. He is a good cook and has been around photo shoots and food styling all his life. Sometimes I hire him to wash dishes on photo shoots and he does a good job and seems to enjoy it. Thanks for you support and always stopping by and leaving such nice comments.
You know Teresa, everytime I see a blood orange I think of YOU! Not a bad thing, since you never let me forget about my husband’s favorite fruit. I still want to go back and make that one tart you did a few years ago. SO YUM! I hope you’re doing well.
And yea, I figured out how to comment on your blog again! I always visit, but there for a while I was not able to comment.
Angela, thanks for coming by. I think of you often. Sorry about the trouble you had leaving comments! Glad the problem is fixed. I like it that you link me in your mind with blood oranges! What a fun image. I am well, extremely busy with food shoots and styling food and doing a bit of traveling. All is well here. Hope you are well and staying cozy and warm.
My mouth is watering at just the sound of the title of this cake. I also love the photos!
Must try this! I made a Blood Orange Cheesecake last weekend which was fab but this looks great
I think Blood Orange Cheesecake sounds pretty fab as well. I am off to check it out on your blog. Thanks.
Looks absolutely wonderful. Will have to try it.
This looks simple and fabulous. My kind of dessert.
As you can imagine with Baylor helping me that he took quite a large slice, half the cake, home with him! Thanks for stopping by. Big hug to you Lizzie.
That cake looks so moist and moorish – I could just eat it right now with a good dollop of cream!
Good idea…a dollop of cream! And it does look Moorish doesn’t it? Thanks.
Wow that looks delicious. Really moist too.
A bit of powdered sugar IS always magical!
Also, I just learned why blood oranges vary in colour so much. Evidently it has to do with which direction they face while they grow. The South facing oranges are usually lighter, while North are darker. Who’d a known?
PS. Baylor is adorable. Maybe you have a junior stylist in the works? 😉
Kirsty you are a fountain of knowledge! Love that info on the blood orange. Makes perfect sense and hope you are well and staying warm.
Where is that sous chef? The cake looks relish!
I had to keep the Sous Chef under wraps as I would not have been able to keep up with all the email I would have gotten wanting his number! Thanks sweetness.
Reblogged this on Chef Ceaser.
I love this time of the year when blood oranges hit the markets. They made a lovely addition to your cake. A belated Happy Birthday to you, I hope it was a nice as your flowers were beautiful.
This must be delicious! Will have to try it, I love the combination of oranges and cakes =D
Chef Caeser, Karen and Elyann thanks to you all for stopping by and leaving comments. The citrus season in winter is one of my favorites. Lots of good recipes and drinking juiced. Hope you are all well. T
I hadn’t noticed the date of this post and recipe until I got to the end line – a post with love and of love. An dyes I remember the blood orange limocello as I made a batch from your recipe 🙂
Claire thanks so much. It is always great to hear from you on the other side of the “pond”. Hope you are well and staying warm. It has been a rough winter here in the States. T
I just have to smile when I think of two of my loves in life spending the day together baking. The cake was wonderful , still a little warm once it reached me. Delicious!
It was a special time that I hope to repeat often over the years. Baylor has always been my good and loving companion when we spend time together. A special boy indeed! Thanks for stopping by Food on Fifth sweetness.
just gorgeous! And surely delicious too!
Yum! I have been craving a blood orange treat lately!
I noticed there are a lot more recipes using blood orange – this sounds so tasty and looks really good.
Reblogged this on susamaimily.
Haven’t baked with them yet, but I am a blood orange junkie and can’t wait to try this!
Beautiful! I love any recipe that makes use of blood oranges. Can’t get enough of them.
Reblogged this on Royal Graffiti.