Blood Orange Torte
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Austrian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8 pieces
 
An almond torte filled and iced with a blood orange curs.
Ingredients
  • TORTE
  • ½ cup dried breadcrumbs, plus more for the pan
  • 1 cup/115g ground almonds
  • 5 eggs, separated, at room temperature
  • ⅔ cups/135g sugar
  • Grated zest of ½ blood orange
  • 3 tablespoons blood orange juice
  • BLOOD ORANGE CURD
  • ¾ cup/150g sugar
  • Grated zest of 1 blood orange
  • ½ cup/118ml fresh blood orange juice
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons/55g unsalted butter
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • ½ cup/118ml heavy whipping cream
  • CANDIED BLOOD ORANGES
  • 1 blood orange, sliced very thinly
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup/175ml water
Instructions
  1. TORTE
  2. Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
  3. Lightly butter a 7 inch/18cm springform pan and line the bottom with a parchment round.
  4. Dust the sides and bottom with some breadcrumbs.
  5. Tap out the excess crumbs and set pan aside.
  6. In a food processor, add the ground almonds and bread crumbs and process till finely ground, almost to a powder. Set aside.
  7. Beat the yolks and a ¼ cup the sugar in a medium bowl with a hand mixer until thick and pale.
  8. About 4 minutes and then beat in the blood orange zest and juice.
  9. Using clean beaters or a stand mixer, add thee egg whites and beat until soft peaks form.
  10. Add the remaining sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks form and are shiny.
  11. Fold about ¼ of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten the mixture,
  12. Add in the almond-breadcrumb mixture and fold in.
  13. Add the rest of the egg whites, folding in until batter is combined.
  14. Spread evenly into the pan.
  15. It will fill up the pan almost to the top.
  16. Bake until the centre is springy and firm, about 35 minutes.
  17. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes.
  18. Run a knife around the edges and loosen the cake.
  19. Remove the cake carefully by removing the sides of the pan.
  20. Remove the cake from the bottom cake plate and peel off the paper.
  21. Place on a rack until completely cooled.
  22. BLOOD ORANGE CURD
  23. Whisk the sugar, blood orange zest and juice, lemon juice, butter, egg yolks and corn starch together in a medium pan.
  24. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil .
  25. Let stand and cool completely.
  26. Can be made ahead and kept in the fridge to cool.
  27. If you want to assemble the torte the same day, cool the curd by pouring it into a bowl that's been placed in a larger bowl of ice.
  28. Stir occasionally to cool.
  29. This will make more curd than is needed, but it can be kept to use on toast or scones.
  30. When it's time to assemble the torte, whip the heavy cream till nice and stiff.
  31. Beat until quite stiff since the curd will thin it out.
  32. Add ½ cup of the blood orange curd and beat until mixed.
  33. Slice the cake in half or thirds if possible.
  34. Carefully separate the layers.
  35. Add some blood orange curd as a filling, about ¼ cup or so.
  36. If you were able to cut into thirds, fill with more curd in the second layer.
  37. With the remaining bit of curd icing, spread it all around the cake, if desired.
  38. I like the rustic, somewhat naked look of the cake.
  39. Top with fresh blood oranges or candied blood oranges.
  40. CANDIED BLOOD ORANGES
  41. Place the water and sugar into a medium pan and bring to a boil.
  42. Once the sugar is all dissolved, add the blood oranges into the simple syrup.
  43. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer the oranges until they are soft.
  44. It will take about 45-50 minutes.
  45. Remove the blood oranges and cool on rack until cooled and dried.
  46. They make take a day or two to dry so plan ahead if you are using these.
Recipe by Coffee and Crumpets at http://www.coffeeandcrumpets.com/blood-orange-torte/