Orange torte/torta de laranja

6 Servings

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup Sugar
3 Jumbo eggs
Juice of 1 navel orange
1 tablespoon Finely grated orange rind
⅛ teaspoon Ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to hot 425 degrees. In an electric mixer set at high speed, beat ¾ cup of the sugar with the eggs 5 minutes until the color and consistency of mayonnaise. Meanwhile, line the bottom of a 15½ x 10 ½ x 1-inch jelly-roll pan with wax paper. Butter the wax paper generously and also the pan sides; sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the wax paper, then tip the pan from side to side and back and forth to coat both the wax paper and the pan sides with flour. Rap the pan lightly against the counter, then tip out the excess flour; set the pan aside.

As soon as the sugar-egg mixture is fluffy-light, stir in the orange juice, rind and cinnamon. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake uncovered on the middle oven rack 12 to 15 minutes until the surface is richly browned.

Note: As it bakes, the batter will billow into alarming "hills and valleys," but this is perfectly normal. While the torte bakes, spread a clean dishtowel across the counter so that one of the short sides faces you. Now sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup sugar over the towel to cover an area slightly larger than that of the jelly-roll pan.

The instant the torte is done, remove from the oven and loosen around the edges with a thin-bladed knife or small spatula. Quickly invert the pan on top of the sugared towel and, wasting no time, gently pull off the wax paper. (Never mind if a few holes appear in the torte; they won't show once the torte is finished.) Now, with a sharp knife dipped in hot water, quickly trim off any crisp edges around the torte. To roll the torte, lift the front end of the towel up, letting the torte roll up on itself, jelly-roll style. Leave the torte wrapped up in the towel for 3 to 4 hours (the torte will make its own jellylike filling), then carefully unwrap. To serve, sliced the torte about ⅜-inch thick and slightly on the bias.

Allow 2 to 3 slices per serving.

NOTES : A remarkable dessert. It contains no flour and it's a bit tricky to make because you must work at lightning speed once the torte comes from the oven. Make sure that the wax paper you use to line the bottom of the pan is well buttered and floured. Do not use baking parchment to line the pan because the torte mixture would slither over it as it bakes and be extremely uneven, making the torte difficult to roll.

Recipe by: The Food of Portugal/Jean Anderson Posted to TNT Recipes Digest by Karen <SilkyKitty@...> on Mar 13, 1998

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