“I love the dense texture of flourless cakes and I love all citrus cakes, so being able to combine the two, with rosemary for extra interest, is an added bonus,” Natalie Boog says in the introduction to this recipe from her new cookbook Courtyard Kitchen.
“I really enjoy using herbs in sweet recipes. It’s not a first thought for most home cooks, but it’s surprising how well they can work together.”
Boog is a self-taught home cook and photographer based in Sydney, and Courtyard Kitchen features tips for growing and harvesting herbs and fruit, as well as more than 80 recipes for savoury dishes and sweets.
Flourless Orange & Rosemary Cake
Serves 8
Recipes and Images from Courtyard Kitchen by Natalig Boog, published by Murdoch Books, $39.99
Ingredients
2 oranges
4 eggs
220g (7¾oz/1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
200g (7oz/2 cups) almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
Method
Preheat the oven to 150C (300F). Lightly grease a 15cm (6-inch) round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
Zest the oranges, then remove the white pith and seeds. Coarsely chop the flesh and put in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Process until well combined, then pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
This cake will brown a little more than usual due to the sugar and juice from the oranges, so if necessary, cover loosely with a piece of foil during baking.
