Gluten Free Orange and Lemon Cake

This is one of those dishes that you make every now and again because although it's worth eating even with all the sugar in it, there is a lot of sugar in it. Don't be put off. Maybe I shouldn't have said that but I might as well warn you now. There is a lot of sugar. But, on the plus side, you can eat small slivers over an extended period because this cake is so moist and juicy that it will definitely last in a sealed tin.

Now this is not my recipe. I wish it was my recipe but I have adapted it a bit. First off the recipe came to me on a piece of paper with no author or title. It asked for flour, and I changed it to ground almonds. Secondly I put in more orange and lemon zest than the recipe asked for to give it a real tang.

Citrus fruit are renowned for being a good cleanser. Who hasn't heard that a cup of hot water with a slice of lemon is the best way to start the day? We all know that citrus fruit have good doses of Vit C but did you know that they also have the most activity when it comes to antioxidants which helps boost our immune systems and fights off bad stuff like cancer and diseases.

Cinnamon and Star Anise. My kitchen smells something like a cross between Christmas and far away lands. It was boooootiful. Star Anise can be used to help bring out a cough and all the yucky stuff that gets stuck in your chest. Mixed with some honey and water it's also been known to help with tummy cramps. The shape of these get me every time!

Cinnamon has amazing properties, first I have to talk about how great  it is for regulating blood sugar levels! Yay, another food/spice  to add to our 'helpfull' lists for those of us with Insulin Resistance. Other uses include helping with pain, inflammation and hormone balancing.

RECIPE:

200g castor sugar

145g ground almonds

215m sunflower oil

4 large eggs

finely grated zest of 2 lemons and 2 oranges

1½ tsp baking powder.

Syrup:

juice of 1 lemon and orange

90g castor sugar

3 star anise

1 stick of cinnamon broken up

Oil and line a tine with baking paper. I have used different tins every time I make it (round to flat and square) It won't rise a huge amount but there is a good amount of mix. Combine all the cake ingredients together and give it a good beat. Immediately put into your tin and put it in the oven. Turn oven to 190C and set your timer for 40 mins. A cold oven is what makes this cake work also, the top will look like it's getting brown too quick. Cover with a bit of tin foil.

With about 10 mins to spare, pop all the syrup ingredients into a pan. Slowly bring it to a boil (all the sugar wants to be dissolved before it boils) and simmer it for 15 mins. Warning: Smell in your kitchen will be amazing so be careful.

Check to see if you cake is cooked (skewer into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean take it out, if there is a mixture on the skewer leave in for another 10 mins)

Once out though pour the syrup over the cake trying to cover all of the surface. This will make your cake so moist and amazing! I found that I had some syrup left over as I had covered the cake 2 with syrup and didn't want to drown it. So I've kept the syrup to make a christmassy cordial.