Dairy Free Baked Orange and Almond Pudding Cake

So here's my other alternative Christmas pudding recipe. This one is dairy free too which is somewhat of a bonus and as with it's companion recipe (see here for that one) it can be created as required in a relatively short space of time. You could try clementines if you wanted to be really festive, however I find them rather a pain to zest. So first time around stick with oranges, then you'll have the excuse to make another to compare. Not that one ever needs an excuse! ;-)

Prep time: 15 Mins

Baking time: 60 Mins

1 Orange

4 Medium Eggs

125g Golden Caster Sugar

100g Ground Almonds

75g Plain Flour

1/2tsp Baking Powder

1-2tbsp Golden or Maple Syrup

I'm going to plagiarise myself here and reuse the beginning of my last recipe!

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4, grease a pudding tin (the one I use is around 16cm in diameter) and line the base with a little round disc of baking paper. Doing this makes it much easier to release the baked pudding from the tin later.

Zest the orange into a large mixing bowl then add the eggs and sugar. Whisk briskly, then add the ground almonds, flour and baking powder. Whisk to a smooth batter.

From the fattest part of the orange slice off three slices, each no thicker than a one pound coin. Place one onto the base of the tin, then cut the other two in half an arrange around the side of the base slice. Squeeze a tablespoon of juice from one of the orange ends and add to your cake batter. Whisk through gently to combine, then pour over the orange slices into the tin.

Bake in the centre of the oven for around 60 mins, until a metal skewer comes out cleanly from the middle of the cake. When you are happy the cake is baked remove from oven and leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins.

If your cake has risen to a dome on the top/bottom then carefully slice the dome off with a sharp knife, so you have a flat base. Ooooh and there's a chef's treat for yourself! Run a flat bladed knife around the side of the cake and turn onto your serving place. Drizzle with golden or maple syrup and you are ready to serve. I actually prefer ice cream with this one, but the choice is yours. Merry Christmas. X