From Chef Oonagh Williams of Royal Temptations Catering

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (4 oz.) of soft butter
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I use “lite”)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. almond extract
• Grated zest/rind of 2 medium- to large-sized oranges
• 2 cups almond meal or almond flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. finely grated fresh nutmeg – in with almond meal
• 1 tsp. ground cardamon – in with almond meal
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup golden raisins soaked in 2 Tbsp. orange liqueur or brandy or rum (add at end of step 4)
• ¼ cup finely chopped sliced almonds (No skin on. Add at the end of step 4.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put soft butter and cream cheese in a 6-cup mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in sugar, almond meal, baking powder, nutmeg, cardamom and salt. Depending on when you stop beating, mix will either appear as crumbs or thick dough.

3. Add vanilla and almond extract and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Once all eggs are added, beat well for 2 minutes and mix will become very fluffy.

4. Stir in orange zest, raisins with liquid, and almonds.

5. Scoop batter into greased and gluten-free floured 10” Bundt pan and level the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Cake will be a golden brown across the top, no cracks, softly firm and flat (not domed).

6. Remove from oven, let cool for 10 minutes, loosen sides with thin spatula and then turn out onto cooling rack to finish cooling. Don’t let it go cold in Bundt pan as sugar content will make cake stick to pan.

Tips and Alternatives:

If you use almond meal (almonds ground with skins left on) then the cake will have a speckly appearance. If you use almond flour, (skinless almonds ground), then the cake will be white.