A great accompaniment for tea and coffee or a nice cold glass of homemade lemonade!

Ingredients:

• 250 gr. unsalted butter or spry
• 2 cups sugar (1/2 of which is icing sugar)
• 6 eggs
• 1.5 cup orange juice plus grated orange peel
• 1/4 cup cognac/brandy
• 1/2cup milk
• 3 cups sifted plain flour (in Cyprus – Farina 00)
• A pinch of salt
• 3 tsps heaped baking powder
• 1 sachet vanilla powder (or 1 tsp vanilla flavouring)
• 1.5 tbsps Cocoa
• 1.5 tbsps Drinking Chocolate
• 1/2 cup Almonds roughly chopped

Method:

Lightly grease and flour a 25cm deep round cake pan (preferably with a 7cm hole
in the middle) and set aside..

1. Cream butter and rind in a bowl with electric or hand mixer until light in colour.  Add sugar, beat until light and fluffy.  Gradually add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well between each addition. Add vanilla and brandy.

2. Stir in sifted flour, salt and baking powder, folding it in with a metal spoon alternately with the orange juice and milk making sure  that the consistency of the mixture is not runny or too thick.

3. Beat egg whites in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted.  Gently fold egg whites into the mixture in 2 batches.

4.  Transfer one third of the mixture in a small bowl and mix well with sifted cocoa and chocolate powder and set aside.  Put half of the remaining mixture into prepared pan.

5.  Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixture on top of the mixture in the pan reserving 1-2 tablespoons. Do not smooth it out.  Add rest of the plain mixture on top.  Add reserve chocolate mixture on top. Using a knife, gently swirl the top 2 layers together to give a marbled effect.  Top with chopped almonds.

6.  Bake in a preheated oven 180C for one hour or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

7.  Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out in a cake platter and allow to cool completely before cutting.