This week, we've been leafing lustily through the pages of Kew's Global Kitchen Cookbook, which features 101 recipes using edible plants from around the world.
Rather than being adorned with photos, Kew's Global Kitchen Cookbook is full of classic botanical illustrations from the Archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, along with stories of their history and discovery.
The recipes range from savoury treats to spiced sweet treats, each well explained with clear measurements. Some of the plants featured will be harder to source than others, but that's what makes the book such a delicious adventure.
I've been given permission to share an amazing recipe from Kew's Global Kitchen Cookbook for pine nut crusted orange cake - it's light and fragrant, with a gorgeous nutty, slightly waxy top. Just divine.
Pine nut crusted orange cake
Ancient Greeks and Romans savoured pine nuts preserved in honey, and legionaries brought them to Britain under Roman rule. Here several flavours of the Mediterranean – pine nuts, oranges and olive oil – blend in Jane Suthering’s delicious cake, to give a subtle taste and perfect texture.
Ingredients
- 50 g (1.8 oz) pine nuts
- 2 eggs separated
- 150 g (5.3 oz) golden caster sugar plus 1 tsp for dusting the tin
- 120 ml (4.1 floz) light olive oil
- 1 large orange finely grated zest
- 120 ml (4.1 floz) fresh orange juice
- 200 g (7.1 oz) plain flour plus 1 tsp for dusting the tin
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Put the pine nuts on a baking tray and brown in the oven for 7–8 mins. Oil the base of a 20cm (8in) spring-form tin, then line the base with baking paper. Use the 1 additional tsp each of sugar and flour to dust the sides of the tin, and shake out any excess.
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then leave to one side.
- Whisk the yolks and sugar until well combined and pale, then whisk in the oil, followed by the orange zest and juice.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into the egg mixture. Finally, fold in the egg whites and transfer the mixture to the prepared tin.
- Sprinkle the mixture with the toasted pine nuts and bake for 40–45 mins until well risen and lightly springy to the touch. Cool until you can touch the tin easily, then remove the cake and transfer it to a wire rack.
This cake is delicious served fresh from the tin on its own or with slices of orange or other fresh fruits. Store it in an airtight container if not eaten straight away.
Are you tempted to bake this orange cake at home?
Here's the orange cake recipe again in an easy to print format.
Orange cake with pine nuts
Ingredients
- 50 g (1.8 oz) pine nuts
- 2 eggs separated
- 150 g (5.3 oz) golden caster sugar plus 1 tsp for dusting the tin
- 120 ml (4.1 floz) light olive oil
- 1 large orange finely grated zest
- 120 ml (4.1 floz) fresh orange juice
- 200 g (7.1 oz) plain flour plus 1 tsp for dusting the tin
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
- Put the pine nuts on a baking tray and brown in the oven for 7–8 mins.
- Oil the base of a 20cm (8in) spring-form tin, then line the base with baking paper. Use 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp flour to dust the sides of the tin, and shake out any excess.
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then leave to one side.
- Whisk the yolks and sugar until well combined and pale, then whisk in the oil, followed by the orange zest and juice.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into the egg mixture.
- Finally, fold in the egg whites and transfer the mixture to the prepared tin.
- Sprinkle the mixture with the toasted pine nuts and bake for 40–45 mins until well risen and lightly springy to the touch.
- Cool until you can touch the tin easily, then remove the cake and transfer it to a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe reproduced with the publisher's permission.
More citrusy dessert recipes to try
Rachel says
Great post, again. Delicious. What a terrific composition!
Mandy says
This looks incredible and I love the cover design of the book. Definitely going to check this out.