Nici Wickes: Truly orange, orange cake

TRULY ORANGE ORANGE CAKE  
In celebration of Coeliac Awareness Week I give you this tender, moist orange cake that really does get better with age – 1-2 days anyway!  
125g butter 
1 cup regular sugar 
2 tsps vanilla extract 
2 eggs 
1 tsps baking soda 
3/4 cup warm water 
1 orange 
1 cup sultanas or raisins 
1 ¼  cups GF flour 
½ cup ground almonds  
Syrup 
¼ cup caster sugar  
2 tbsps water  
Zest of one orange  

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease and line a 22-24cm round cake tin. 
Cream the butter and sugar and vanilla until fluffy. 
Add the eggs one at a time and beat between each addition. 
Dissolve the soda in the water and add to the creamed mixture. 
Mince or blend the orange, peel and all, raisins/sultanas. Stir this into the creamed mixture. 
Stir in sifted flour and ground almonds and mix well. 
Scrape into the tin and bake for approx  50-60 minutes or until a skewer when inserted into the cake comes out clean. 
Remove from oven and let cool for a 10 minutes and turn out. Cool completely. 
Make a sugar syrup with ¼ cup sugar and water and zest of orange. Simmer until it syrups – about 7 minutes. Pour over when cake is cold. 

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