I love that these vibrant fruits reach their peak when the days here are darkest; gifts from nature that burst with the promise of warmer days to come
STORIES · 13.01.25
Food | Recipes | Well-Being
It’s been a bitterly cold start to the year at Daylesford, with temperatures plummeting to minus 9 degrees in Gloucestershire and the market garden enveloped in a shimmering blanket of frost.
Thankfully, the beginning of winter citrus season has brought some much-needed sunshine to our farmshops. From leafy Spanish clementines and Italian lemons to organic Calabrian bergamot and kumquats, I love that these vibrant fruits reach their peak when the days here are darkest; gifts from nature that burst with natural sweetness, vitamin C and the promise of warmer days to come.
This recipe is a wonderful way to celebrate the beautiful blood oranges that are at their best right now. It comes from my second book, A Love For Food, and it is a surprisingly light pudding to brighten a grey January day.
Serves 8-10
2 blood oranges
310g caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp
85g butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
120g plain flour
30g fine polenta
2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
90ml milk
3 egg whites
2 tbsp marmalade
this recipe is a surprisingly light pudding to brighten a grey January day
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
For the oranges, remove the skin and pith from the fruit with a small sharp knife, then cut into 4mm thick slices.
Put 180g of the sugar into a small heavy-bottomed pan with 100ml of water – or blood orange juice – and heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring and continue to cook until the syrup changes to a dark caramel. Carefully pour the caramel evenly into the base of the prepared tin.
Pat the orange slices dry on kitchen paper and arrange in overlapping circles on top of the caramel.
For the cake, put the butter, 130g of sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl. Cream together until light and fluffy, then mix in the egg yolks until well combined.
Fold in the flour, polenta, baking powder and salt, mix well, then add the milk gradually until you have a smooth batter.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the tablespoon of sugar. Whisk again to form stiff peaks, then gently fold a third of this meringue into the batter to loosen it. Carefully fold in the rest as lightly as possible.
Pour the batter over the oranges, smooth gently, then bake in the oven for 35–40 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Place the tin on a cooling rack for 10 mins.
Put the marmalade into a small saucepan with 1 tbsp water, and gently heat through to make your glaze.
Turn the cake out onto a flat plate (with the oranges facing upwards) then use a pastry brush to gently spread the glaze over the top.
Slice the cake and serve with a spoonful of whipped cream or crème fraîche – perhaps with a little orange zest stirred through.
You can find more seasonal recipes on my Instagram and in my newest book, Daylesford Living: Inspired by Nature.
