Orange Fruit Gateau

Ingredients

• 1 ⅓ cups flour
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ lemon, for juice and finely grated zest
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup hot water
• 2 ⅓ cups sugar
• 2 tbsp orange liqueur
• 2 tbsp unflavored gelatin
• 3 tbsp apricot preserves
• ¾ cup flaked almonds
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 eggs, separated
• 6 oranges, 3 for juice, 1 for finely grated zest, and 3 thinly sliced
• star fruit and maraschino cherries to decorate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 10 inch springform pan with parchment paper.Cake: Beat the egg yolks and water in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and thick. Beat in ⅔ cup of sugar and the ½ lemon of zest and juice. With mixer at medium speed, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. With mixer at high speed, gradually add ⅔ cups sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold them into the egg yolk mixture. Fold the flour and baking powder into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Loosen and remove the pan sides. Invert onto a rack. Loosen and remove the pan bottom. Carefully remove the paper and let cool completely.Filling: Beat the yolks, orange zest and ½ cup sugar in a saucepan until well blended. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture lightly coats a metal spoon or reaches 160 F. Immediately plunge the pan into a bowl of ice water and stir until until the egg mixture has cooled. Sprinkle the gelatin over the orange juice and tbsp lemon juice in a saucepan. Let stand 1 minute. Stir over low heat until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat. Gradually fold the egg mixture into the gelatin mixture. With mixer at high speed, beat the cream in a large bowl until stiff. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the cream into the egg mixture. Split the cake in half horizontally. Sprinkle the orange liqueur over the cake layers. Place one layer on a serving plate and surround with the pan sides. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove the pan sides.Topping: Warm the apricot preserves in a saucepan over low heat. Brush the cake with the preserves. Stick the almonds onto the sides. Melt the butter and ½ cup sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Add the orange slices and cook until the oranges begin to caramelized, about 10 minutes. Arrange the oranges in a circle around the edge of the cake. Decorate with slices of star fruit and candied cherries.