Recipe: Flourless Almond Orange Cake w/Kalamata Olives

Don't stick your tongue out at the idea of olives in your cake just yet mister!

Look. If you haven't discovered how great the sweet and salty thing is yet, you need to get on the bus! I use it in my Brownies, my Peanut Butter Shortbread, and a slew of caramel based desserts. In proper proportions it is a can't miss combination.

So here I took it in a slightly different direction.

8 oz. Blanched almonds
1/2 C. Sugar, divided
4 Eggs, separated
Zest of two oranges
2 T. Sherry (Amontillado is preferred)
1 T. Orange blossom water
1/2 C. Kalamata olives, pitted

Oven to 375F; Butter a 9" springform and line with parchment

Process the almonds and 2 T. sugar until finely ground. Whip the yolks and 2 more T. of sugar until combined, then add the zest and salt and beat for a good two minutes on highest speed. Mix the sherry and blossom water into the almond mixture and then add the almonds to the yolks. Combine well.

Beat the whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and whip until firm peaks. Take a third of the whites and incorporate them into the almond/yolk mixture. The idea here is to loosen up the glop and make it easier to fold into the whites, so work at it until things loosen. If you need to add a bit more of the whites. Add the chopped kalamata. Finally fold this into the remaining whites until thoroughly incorporated. Pour into pan and bake around 30 minutes until you get a clean toothpick.

This is a wonderful nighttime dessert to be enjoyed with a dessert wine or cappuccino. Enjoy!