Almond and Orange Cake with Orange Pomegranate Compote: The Perfect Passover Dessert

serves 10



Miss Rosie knows all there is to know about sweets and meats (we'll talk brisket later). This is THE ideal Passover dessert because it's so light, delicious, and creative! We made it last year and it was such a huge hit that we'd be simply foolish not to recreate this fancy crowd pleaser again!

Ingredients:
8 oz. margarin or butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1 1/4 ground almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 orange (zest only)
1/2 orange (juice only)
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Compote:
4 large oranges
1 orange peel, removed in strips and reserved
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Cream butter or margarin together in a standing mixture with a paddle attachment until white and fluffy. Beat the eggs and add them alternately with the flour to the butter/ margarin mixture. On low speed, add the almonds until just mixed in.

Combine the orange juice, zest, almond extract, and salt. Stir to dissolve salt. Add to mixer at once. Continue to mix on low speed until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake one hour in a conventional oven or 40-50 minutes in a convection oven. After 40 minutes, you may need to cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the top from over browning. The cake is done when the top springs back slightly when pressed or a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove cake from the pan and let sit on a wire rack until cool.



For the compote:
Place large sieve over bowl. Cut off peel and pith from oranges. Working over a sieve, cut oranges between membranes to release segments into sieve. Squeeze any juice from orange membranes over. Let oranges drain while preparing syrup.

Bring pomegranate juice, sugar, lemon juice, drained orange juice, and reserved orange peel to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil syrup until reduced enough to coat spoon, about 30 minutes. Add syrup to orange segments; let compote stand 15 minutes. Spoon compote over cake and serve.