I love oranges – always have, always will. Unfortunately, that does not extend to marmalade which is a taste I cannot endure in any shape or form. The Teen, however, loves it – created by an early affinity with Jaffa Cakes. This cake therefore appeals to some palates but alas, not all.

This is a cake of many dimensions. It is a cake for marmalade lovers as it has an intense orangey taste. It is a flour free/gluten free cake. Although I cannot taste the final product, it is also a cake I enjoy making – particularly, the aroma of orange that wafts through the house as the oranges are cooking.

Where did I find this? I have been asked this question on a number of occasions. In 2000,  I was carrying out research for a client on old newspapers. I found this in an edition of The Irish Press from the 1950s and couldn’t resist jotting it down.

Jewish Orange and Almond Cake

Ingredients
2 large oranges
6 eggs
9 ounces castor sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
9 ounces of ground almonds

Method
1. Gently boil the two oranges for about two hours
2. Cool and pulp
3. Blend the eggs, sugar and baking powder until light, thick and pale
4. Add the ground almonds
5. Add the pulped orange
6. Turn into a cake tin
7. Bake in a non-Fan oven at 190 for about one hour. The cake is baked when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes away clean.