Texture Of Almond And Orange Blossom Cake

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Nigella's Almond And Orange Blossom Cake (from HOW TO EAT) is a moist cake that is wonderful served as a dessert. The cake itself doesn't contain any raising agent, so it will not be as light and airy as a sponge cake and it may sink back slightly as it cools (particularly if it is made with rice flour). The texture should be damp and crumbly, rather than spongy and airy.

When making the cake it is important to make sure that the butter and sugar are really creamed together properly before any eggs are added. Creaming butter and sugar is the one way to introduce air to the mixture, particularly in the absence of a raising agent, so make sure that the butter and sugar are beaten together until they look fluffy, are very pale in colour and the sugar has mostly dissolved. Also make sure that the butter is not too soft, as this can lead to the cake becoming greasy and also can mean that not enough air is incorporated in the initial creaming process. You should be able to press the butter with your finger so that it leaves a dent, but the butter should not be so soft that you can push your finger right into it.