Portuguese Almond Focaccia

IMG_20150323_154924471150 gr. finely ground almonds (1 1/3  cups)
150 gr. sugar (1/2 cup)
50 gr. potato or corn starch (1/3 cup)
3 large eggs
juice and grated zest of one large orange
1 tsp. baking powder

1. Separate the eggs and beat the whites until firm.
2. Beat the yolks until fluffy and gradually beat in the sugar until the mixture
is a pale yellow, adding also the orange zest.
3. Whisk the almond flour, starch and baking powder together and gently fold into the yolk mixture, alternating with the orange juice.
4. Carefully fold in the egg whites.
5. Pour into a wide cake pan (lined with buttered parchment paper). The batter shouldn’t be deeper than an inch or two.
6. Bake in a moderate oven (180 deg. C.) for 30-40 minutes.
7. Remove from pan when cool and peel off the parchment paper.
8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or cover with a glaze made of powdered sugar and orange juice.

tip: Delicious as a base for strawberry shortcake with a dollop of whipped cream on top.