Cyphermunks’ Cake Adapted from a medieval recipe for torta del Maestrazgo. Super moist and sticky cake, originally plant based, the people then made it with the stuff they had in the part of Valencia (Iberia) called the “Maestrazgo”. Almond milk and derivatives were common at the time as almond trees are abundant and cows aren't over there. Easy to make and scrumptious looking and tasting. Ingredients for 1 cake: For the orange and almond top 2 large blood oranges (or oranges if blood ones not available) 200 g caster sugar 200 ml water 100 g of almonds A good pinch of saffron strands (optional and quantity to taste) For the cake 250 g self-raising flour 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 225g caster sugar 50 g ground almonds 2 tbsp cornflour 150 ml extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford) 200 g almond yogurt (ot other full fatb yogurt) Good pinch of salt For the orange syrup Liquid from the orange top Juice of half lemon Instructions Preheat the oven to 180C (fan) The top Slice one of the blood oranges into half a centimetre thick discs, remove the seeds. Bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a saucepan and add the orange slices making sure they're covered by the syrup and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the slices from the syrup and set aside on a plate to cool. Add the saffron to the syrup and set aside to cool down. Grease with a bit of olive oil a 23cm loose-based cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper. Smear a bit more of the olive oil on the paper. Quickly toast the almonds on a hot, dry, pan for 2 minutes (shaking the pan constantly as they could burn quickly. Arrange the almonds into the tin randomly. Don’t try to make it look pretty and neat -it won't work. Put the orange slices on top of the almonds in one layer, overlapping them slightly. “Rustic” is the look you want. The Cake In a bowl combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar, ground almonds and cornflour. In a jug, mix the olive oil and vegan yoghurt, add the zest of the other orange Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth. Pour the mix into the tin over the almond and orange slices top, and smooth it to the edges of the tin. Bake for 30 minutes or so. Insert a knife or chopstick, if it comes out clean the cake is done. While the cake is baking, mix the syrup you kept from the orange slices with the juice of the remaining orange and reduce in a pan until it is thick and glossy. Take it off the fire and add the juice of half a lemon. Serving Whilst it is still in the tin, use a cocktail stick or skewer to prick the cake several times all over then pur over the syru. Cool down the cake and put it in the fridge for a while. To serve it, turn it out onto a serving plate. Remove the baking parchment and, listo!, 21st century medieval feast. #zapcooking #foodstr #cyphermunk #plantbased @bb0174ae…75f7239a