In celebration of Bertioli’s new Greek Collection, Charlie has devised a recipe that marries olives and almonds in a mediterranean-inspired, simple to make orange cake. One that tastes even better while wearing a Bertioli x Flora Sardalos dress and atop a handdrawn olive table linen!

Photos by Alicia Waite.

Oranges are readily available most of the year, from Spain and other European countries, but it is between November and January that the taste is at its best.

Serves 8

For the CAKE
4 free range eggs
300g + an extra 50g golden caster sugar
250g whole blanched almonds
120g plain flour
180ml olive oil (you can use light or extra virgin – extra virgin gives a more distinctive flavour)
For the SYRUP
2 oranges
100g golden caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C (normal) | 160°C (fan) | gas mark 4 AND line a 24cm / 9” cake tin with parchment paper.

For the cake, beat the eggs and 300g sugar until light, fluffy and doubled in volume – 10 minutes should do it.
Grind the almonds in a food processor until fine. Grinding your own almonds gives better texture to the cake as opposed to shop-bought ground almonds.
Sift the flour into the egg mixture and fold together along with the almonds with a spoon (if you use the mixer, you’ll bash out all the air). Fold through the olive oil to finish the cake batter.
Slice one of the oranges very thinly with a sharp knife and line the base of the cake tin in circular rings. Scatter over the other 50g of the caster sugar for the cake, then fill the tin with the batter.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Check the cake with a skewer or tip of a paring knife; if it comes out clean the cake is ready. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning out.
For the syrup, combine the juice of the remaining orange with 100g of caster sugar. Bring it to a boil over a medium heat, then turn off the heat. Turn the cake out carefully onto a large plate, remove the parchment and gently pour over the syrup.
Serve with plenty of whipped cream or Greek yoghurt. Kalí óreksi!