Maldon salt blood orange olive oil cake

SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

250ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing 5 blood oranges

250g golden caster sugar 150g plain flour

1

Grease a 20cm round cake tin with olive oil and line the base with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5.

2

Take the blood oranges and carefully slice into thin rounds, as fine as you can.

3

Sprinkle 30g of the sugar over the paper on the bottom of the cake tin. Arrange the orange slices in a circular pattern on top. Squeeze over the remaining juice from 80g semolina

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of Maldon salt 1 orange, zested and juiced 1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

Crème fraîche, to serve

the end pieces of the blood oranges, then set aside while you make the batter.

4

In a large bowl, mix together the plain flour, semolina, baking powder and salt. Adding salt to your baking helps enhance the flavours and balance sweetness and acidity.

5

In a smaller bowl, mix together the orange juice and zest, vanilla extract and olive oil. 6

Place the eggs and remaining sugar in a stand mixer – or use an electric whisk – and beat them together until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

7

Next, add the dry ingredients, followed by the wet ingredients, and beat until smooth.

8

Pour the cake batter into the tin on top of the orange slices. Smooth over the top. 9

Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the cake is golden brown on top and cooked through.

10

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove it from the tin then turn it upside down onto a plate and peel off the parchment.

11

Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving with dollops of crème fraîche.