Ian Snow Makes: Olive oil & pine nut cake

Yesterday the Ian Snow head office enjoyed tucking into a homemade olive oil, orange, rum and pine nut cake. This is a delicious cake to get you in the mood for summer, and the addition of rum gives it a tropical, Caribbean feel!

Makes 1 large cake (perfect for a party, or a hungry office like ours!)

5 Eggs
650g Caster sugar
1 Large orange chopped (skin, pith and fruit)
150ml Rum
100ml Water
500g Flour
250ml Olive oil
1 Tsp vanilla essence
100g Raisins
30g Baking powder
100g Pine nuts

1. Beat the eggs with 400g of caster sugar until pale in colour and thick
2. Add the whole chopped orange, brandy and water, and mix well. Then fold in the flour
3. Add the olive oil, vanilla essence, raisins and baking powder and mix well
4. Line a baking tin with baking paper and pour the mixture into the tin
5. Sprinkle the top with the pine nuts and then with the remaining 250g sugar, pouring it in a swirl from the outside to the centre. Then gently fold in the pine nuts and sugar with a knife into the mixture so that some sinks into the cake and some remains on the surface.
6. Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C/gas 4. Once cooled the cake will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

And if your home or office is as much of a cake lover as we are, it won’t last long! Enjoy!