a taste for royalty: gluten-free blood orange syrup cake

in sicily, the vibrant blood orange was once so valuable it was considered to be a fruit fit only for royalty. today, however, this gorgeous citrus is (thankfully) within the reach of humble people like you and I.. 

blood oranges are an exotic fruit with an almost berry like flavour. the vibrant crimson colour of blood oranges develops when the fruit is grown in climates with cold nights and warm sunny afternoons.

I love blood oranges in salads, tossed with rocket, a hard cheese and toasted hazelnuts; but they’re also the perfect ingredient for simple baking as they visually make a statement..

unlike the gluten-free cake I posted a few weeks back, this one uses corn meal so it is more dense in texture. the syrup gives it a wonderful moisture, as well as a somewhat sticky and crispy caramelised edge.

this cake recipe comes from the New York Times, recipe can be found here, adapted by subbing in gluten-free flour instead of plain flour.

the ingredients you will need are:

• 270g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 medium-sized blood oranges
• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose gluten free flour
• 1 1/2 baking powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

this will keep for a week or so, and is best enjoyed warmed up.