Chances are you’ve never tried a cake quite like this one! Besides the fact that it is simply delectable, it’s also made without any eggs, butter or milk, so you can enjoy it while you are fasting this Lent! Check out the latest sales at Metro and make this amazing dessert cheaper than ever!

 

Ingredients:

 

2 large Merlin oranges

2 ½ cups sugar

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup raki, cognac or the liquor of your choice  

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp baking powder

1 ½ cup flour

1 ½ cup coarse semolina

100g baking chocolate (optional)

 

Directions:

 

Peel the oranges and remove the seeds. Boil them for 5 minutes and then change the water. Repeat this process three times. Strain them and let them cool.

 

Remove as many of the white strands as possible and place one orange into a food processor or blender and puree, adding more water if necessary until there is 1 ½ cups of orange puree. In a large mixing bowl mix the olive oil and 1 cup of the sugar until they are homogenized. Add the baking soda to the orange puree and mix briefly. Then pour the orange puree into the large mixing bowl and mix. Next add the liquor and mix. In another smaller bowl, add the baking powder to the flour and mix, and then slowly dump into the wet mixture and blend. Lastly add the semolina mixing for one last time.

 

Let the batter sit for 20 minutes to allow the semolina to absorb the liquid. Pour the batter into an oiled number 30 pan, and bake at 180 degrees for 1 hour, or until a knife comes out clean from the center of the cake.

 

Let the cake cool while preparing the syrup.

 

Pour the remaining sugar into a pot with 1 cup of water and the other orange thinly sliced. Boil for 10 minutes from the time the actual boil sets in. Remove from flame and pour the hot syrup over the cool cake, not allowing the orange slices to fall onto the cake. Cut the slices in half and use as a garnish.

 

If desired, garnish further with melted baking chocolate.

 

TIP

 

For a less syrupy cake, use 1 ½ cup of sugar in the cake batter, and only 1 cup sugar with ¾ cup water for the syrup. The syrup can also be flavored with a cinnamon stick during the boiling process.