Originally from the Galicia region of Spain, this nutty dessert is extremely popular and is part of pretty much every restaurant menu across the country. The traditional recipe is basically made from ground almonds, eggs, sugar and lemon zest and is often paired with an alcoholic drink, like sweet wine or brandy.
Growing up in Spain, we, of course, enjoyed this delicious treat many, many times. But interestingly enough, never made it at home. As we were trying to come up with Rosh Hashana recipes, we thought of giving it a try… as usual adding a little twist to the traditional recipe.
Our version is sweetened with honey instead of just sugar, we used orange zest instead of lemon (just because we love the almond/orange combo) and added some shelled pistachios for a touch of color, crunch and extra nuttiness.
This recipe is super simple, fast and easy to prepare. And the perfect way to end your Holiday dinner
Enjoy!
Orange Honey Almond Cake
Ingredients- 2 cups almond meal
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 2 jumbo eggs
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Zest of 1 medium orange (or to taste)
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8 inch round baking pan. Place oven rack in medium-low position
- Combine almond meal and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside
- Combine eggs, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Beat using an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes. Add orange zest and almond meal / baking powder mixture and mix until just combined
- Fold in chopped pistachios and pour batter into greased pan. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes o until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean
