Winter in Holland is not always the easiest. It is usually wet and terribly windy. The kind of wind that can just go through you no matter what you wear. I have been here in Holland for 15 years and the weather has never troubled me. I kid you not. I think the first thing any expat coming from a warm country will tell you that the worst thing about adapting in Holland is the weather. That was the case for me. Before I left India, I also remember my father giving me a book that mentioned only 15 days of sunshine a year in this country. He was trying so hard to prepare me! But no, the weather was really something that I took in my stride.
This year, for the first time in all these years, has been hard on me. It seems to me, that my Indian blood and being is rising up :), craving for temperatures that I grew up with.
But this winter I also found a new love in all things citrus. I have rarely eaten oranges in the quantity as I did this season. Mandarins, minneolas, grapefruit and of course the beloved of all bloggers, the blood oranges. This cake is made with blood oranges but it can really be made with regular oranges too. My cake’s surface is not covered completely with the fruit because my daughter doesn’t enjoy citrus in cakes (what is up with that!!!) but you can layer them however you like.
This recipe is adapted from Linda Lomelino’s cake with small adjustments. The outcome was just as delicious as her original. My addition of cardamom (which btw if I had my way I would put into everything!) took the cake to a new level. This is so delicious, so fresh, with that tang in your mouth. I have made this several times this year with great success. Looks amazing too, though I do regret not putting more blood oranges on.
Hope you make this too!
- 3 tbsps cane sugar
- 100 g butter + extra for the pan
- 5-6 tbsps thick yogurt (such as Greek yogurt)
- 1-2 blood oranges
- 2 eggs
- 140 gms granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120 g + 1½ tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 5-6 cardamom pods, seeds taken out and crushed
- ¼ tsp salt
- zest from 1 blood orange
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Generously grease springform pan with butter. Sprinkle pan with 3 tablespoons of cane sugar, making sure to get some on the sides of the pan as well.
- Melt the butter and stir in the yogurt. Set aside to cool.
- Wash and slice 1-2 blood oranges thinly. Remove any seeds. Put the slices in a single layer in the bottom of the sugared pan. (You can overlap them as well, using as many as you like).
- Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until very light in color and texture, about 2-3 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, crushed cardamom, baking powder and salt. Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Add the butter mixture and zest to the batter and stir until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 32-36 minutes until cake is golden brown on top and a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before inverting the cake onto a rack or a plate to cool completely. Serve with hot chai and enjoy!
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