GF Orange + Chilli Tea Cake

Ever since I tried a bar of chilli chocolate, I’ve been enamoured by the pairing of heat with sweet. Like most days, I was walking through the supermarket and saw stacks of fresh oranges in boxes. I couldn’t leaves without a couple, that was for sure. So, with this orange bounty I needed to make something and my mind was swimming with ideas. Craving tea cake for days, that was the first one to hit on the list. I also had some beautiful big fresh red chillies that I didn’t know what to use with, and then it struck me! It would be really interesting to candy them and use in a cake. And that’s how we got here to this gorgeous cake that did not disappoint one bit whatsoever. The heat from the chilli is mild but noticeable and brings out an extra warmth when combined with orange and cinnamon. The base is simple and to me simple always wins big with cake.

Orange Chilli Tea Cake

Ingredients

For the cake batter

  • 100g self-raising GF flour

  • 25g buckwheat flour

  • 25g ground almonds

  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

  • Pinch of salt

  • 150g butter

  • 3 eggs

  • 75g honey

  • 75g soft light brown sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

  • 2 tbsp whole milk

For the orange base

  • 3 seedless oranges, sliced

  • 1 stick cinnamon

  • Juice of 1 orange

  • 1/4 cup whisky

  • 25g honey

  • 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar

  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced lengthwise into strips

  • Pinch of salt

Method of Preparation

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/170°C fan. Butter a 20cm round cake tin, and line the base with parchment paper, and apply some butter over the paper as well.

  2. Prepare the orange base first. Place the ingredients for the base in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. As it begins to gently bubble, turn down the heat and cook on low heat for 30-35 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.

  3. While the base is cooking prepare the cake batter.

  4. Separate the eggs, adding the whites to a medium mixing bowl and the yolks to a small bowl. Whisk the egg whites to form stiff peaks, and set aside.

  5. Sift together the self-raising GF flour + buckwheat flour + ground almonds + baking powder + baking soda + cinnamon powder + salt, and set aside.

  6. Whisk the butter + honey + soft light brown sugar together, till it becomes creamy. Add the egg yolks + vanilla extract, and whisk again till well combined. Fold in the flour mixture. Then add the milk, and mix again. Gently fold in the egg whites, being careful not to over mix.

  7. Line the base of the prepared tin with the cooked orange slices, working from the centre outwards and stacking in such a way that there aren’t any gaps. Pour over 1 tbsp of the juice left in the pan to coat the orange slices. Then add the cake batter. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cover with kitchen foil. Return to the oven for 20 minutes, or till a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then gently flip onto a wire rack and remove the base parchment paper. Drizzle over the remaining juice from the orange base and top with candied chilli strips. Allow to cool before serving.

  8. Enjoy alongside a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee!