Tunisian Almond Orange Lemon Cake

1. 1

   Prepare a 20cm/9in round cake pan by lining bottom and sides with parchment paper (siliconized paper).

2. 2

   Mix the almonds, sugar and baking powder. Add the oil and eggs and beat well. Stir in the orange and lemon zest.

3. 3

   Pour in the pan put into a COLD oven. Turn oven ON and set the heat to 190u00b0C/ 375u00b0F.

4. 4

   Bake for 40-50 minutes until the cake is a rich brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (this will depend on your oven gas or electric but start with 40 min see if you smell any burning or if it is dry).

5. 5

   While the cake is baking, make the syrup by putting all the ingredients into a pan, bring them gently to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 3 minutes. (you need to reduce the volume to about half the orginal amount otherwise the cake would get too soggy). Strain it to remove chunks.

6. 6

   Once is cake is baked, pull it out and let it cool for 5 minutes in the pan. It will dissociate from the parchment paper. Run a thin flat knive around the edge of the cake to make sure the paper is off. Remove the parchment paper lining the sides then turn the cake out onto a plate. Carefully peel the parchment off the bottom.

7. 7

   Pierce holes in the warm cake with a skewer or toothpick and slowly spread the syrup over it until it is all soaked up. Let it sit until cool then loosely cover and place in the fridge overnight to allow it to soak the juice well. Bon appetit.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.