Olive oil and semolina syrup cakes with candied blood oranges
These little olive oil and semolina cakes are drenched with blood orange syrup while still warm and decorated with candied blood oranges. Bake in a silicone muffin tin or friand tin*. The candied orange slices can be prepared a day in advance. Warm the syrup slightly before pouring onto the cakes.
To make the candied oranges, put the sugar, water, blood orange juice and vanilla pod in a medium saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange slices and simmer for 30-50 minutes (depending on thickness of slices) until the peel is translucent and the syrup is viscous. Cut a piece of baking paper slightly larger than your wire rack and place underneath. Remove the orange slices with tongs and place on the wire rack to dry. Reserve the syrup.
Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F. Grease your muffin or friand tin (I used vintage brioche moulds here and got 5 cakes) and dust with flour.
Whisk the egg whites and salt using a stand (or hand) mixer until you have soft peaks. Set aside.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and oil for a few minutes until well combined. Add the orange zest and vanilla extract and mix well.
Combine the flour, ground almonds, semolina, salt and bicarbonate of soda and then add to the batter alternating with the yogurt while mixing on low speed.
Add a spoonful of the whisked egg whites and mix to loosen the batter. Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites.
Divide the batter into your prepared tin(s) filling halfway up and bake for 20-25m (depending on size). The cakes are ready whens they start coming away from the edges of the tin and are golden and firm.
Pour the syrup over the cakes while they are still warm (and still in their tins). The syrup should be absorbed quickly - don't saturate. Remove from the tins once they are completely cool. Decorate with the candied oranges.