Spiced cocoa, walnuts and orange cake

This is a delicious cake to enjoy with your coffee or tea. A recipe for everybody and all tastes! No eggs and no dairy in it so it is ideal for vegetarians and those who would like to fast during the Lent period

Recipe of Argyro Barbarigou,

a prominent Head Cook

check out her site Argiro for more delicious recipes

Ingredients (for a round cake tin of 28cm):
2 + 1/4 tea-cup of all-purpose flour
2 + 1/3 tea-cup of granulated sugar
3/4 tea-cup of finely chopped walnuts
2/3 tea-cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
1 pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp of vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tea-cup of fresh orange juice
1 tbsp of baking soda
1/3 tea-cup of vegetable oil
2 tbsp of plain vinegar
2 large oranges, the zest

For the glaze (optional):
2 large oranges, the zest
1 tbsp of granulated sugar
1/2 orange, the juice
icing sugar (as needed)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Place the oven rack on the last slot down. Brush the bottom and the sides of the cake pan with some oil and lay a piece of baking paper.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, the cocoa, the salt, the cinnamon, the cloves and the nutmeg. Add the sugar and the walnuts and stir. Using a tablespoon make a well in the centre of the ingredients.

In another (smaller) bowl put the oil, the vinegar and the orange zest and stir very well to blend. Empty the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Dissolve the soda in the orange juice in a glass (holding it above the bowl because soda will  rise a lot) and empty into the rest of the ingredients.

Using a spoon firmly stir the ingredients starting from the centre and work outwards until the mixture is well combined and with the consistency of cake batter.

Empty the batter into the pan and gently smooth the surface with a spatula.

Put in the oven and bake for about 1 hour-1h 5 min.(depending on the oven). The mixture will rise and the surface will be crusty. Insert in the centre of the cake a toothpick (or the blade of a knife) and if it comes out dry and clean the cake is ready.

Take out of the oven and leave the cake to rest in the pan for a few minutes. When it is still lukewarm invert onto a serving dish and leave aside to cool completely. When ready, you can either simply dust on the top with icing sugar or follow the recipe for the orange glaze. The latter gives an extra flavour and colour to the cake.

For the orange glaze:
Put the orange zest and the sugar in a bowl. Stir well, cover the bowl with some cling film and leave the mixture in the fridge until it gets a liquid form. Then, add in the bowl the orange juice and gradually the icing sugar, stirring at the same time, until the mixture gets the consistency you prefer (thinner or thicker).

Pour over the cake with the glaze and serve.