The beautifully designed recipe book is in memory of the author’s mother – a natural-born cook, entertainer, and traveller – Rob’s Kitchen celebrates Robyn Cameron’s remarkable zest for life; one tragically cut short after a 17-year battle with breast cancer.
Filled with Robyn’s passion for Mediterranean food and European travels, Sophia Cameron faithfully recalls her mother’s favourite, signature dishes from handwritten recipes. It celebrates a lifetime of gourmet travels and experiences, with aroha and panache.
Recipe courtesy Rob’s Kitchen.
One of Robyn’s go-to cakes in summer. The mixture of lavender with orange screams girly afternoon tea.
Lavender, Orange & Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 5 sprigs of fresh
- lavender flowers
- 1 & 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 250g butter
- 2 fresh oranges
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
Toppings
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- zest of 1 orange
Method
Place the fresh lavender and caster sugar in a food processor and pulse until the lavender turns to fine granules.
Slice the top off the whole oranges, and place the oranges in a medium pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour until soft. In a food processor, puree the oranges, along with their skins. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a cake tin with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and lavender sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the orange puree and the eggs. Beat for 1 minute until thoroughly combined. Fold in the ground almonds and baking powder. Pour the mixture into your lined cake tin and sprinkle the sliced almonds on top. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked all the way through.
Let the cake cool slightly for 15 minutes, then turn out. Sprinkle with icing sugar and orange zest to serve.
Serves 8.
