Orange-Almond Cake

This is a tweaked Bittman recipe. Turned out rich and yummy, yet light. I'll remember the trick of adding ground nuts to the batter for future cake experiments... it's the key.

1/2 c sunflower oil
1 c sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c slivered almonds
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c (+) fresh squeezed orange juice, in this case it was the juice of 2 oranges
Grated zest of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush cake cake with some additional oil. Use an electric mixer to combine oil and sugar, and then add the eggs and beat until thick and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Grind almonds in Vita-mixer until fine. Mix them with flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Stir a portion of the flour mixture into the egg mixture, then add a little of the orange juice. Repeat, stirring after each addition, until well blended. Stir in the orange zest, then turn the batter out into the cake pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

**I didn't glaze the cake because I didn't think it needed the extra sugar, but after a day and a half it dried out quite a bit. If it's not all going to be consumed right away, I might think about a glaze for it just to give it an added bit of moisture.