Honey Cake With Oranges And Almonds

Course :	Italian
From:	HungryMonster.com
Serves:	6

Ingredients:

3	large	eggs -- separated
1/4	cup	sugar
1	cup	honey -- (orange blossom preferred), warmed until thin in a double boiler
3/4	cup	flour
3/4	teaspoon	dried yeast
3	tablespoons	extra-virgin olive oil
2	tablespoons	aguardiente
2	tablespoons	powdered sugar
		=== orange salad ===
4	medium	zest and segments of 4 navel oranges
1/2	medium	lemon -- juice of
20	pieces	mint leaves -- cut chiffonade
2	tablespoons	blanched sliced almonds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F and oil an 8-inch cake pan. Add sugar to yolks and beat to white ribbons. Add the honey to the egg yolk mixture and continue mixing. Mix the flour with the yeast. Add olive oil and aguardiente to egg mixture and slowly add flour-yeast combination, 1/4 cup at a time, to wet mixture. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool. Mix the orange salad ingredients and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Dust cake with powdered sugar and serve with the orange salad. Source: MEDITERRANEAN MARIO with Mario Batali From the TV FOOD NETWORK - (Show # ME-1B10)