The polar opposite of an airy sponge, this dense, nutty cake is kept moist and given a lift by the addition of the orange syrup. A great cake recipe to have up your sleeve for those among us who avoid the wheatier things in life.

6 free-range eggs, separated

150g caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

zest of 2 oranges

340g hazelnuts, ground to a fine meal

candied peel, to serve

(optional)

orange syrup

150g caster sugar

200ml freshly squeezed

orange juice

zest of 4 oranges

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and grease and line a 25cm cake tin.

2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric whisk to beat together the egg yolks and sugar until they are creamy and pale yellow. In a separate bowl, mix together the baking powder, orange zest and hazelnut meal, then add to the egg yolks and sugar and thoroughly beat them together.

3. In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add one-third of the whisked whites to the yolk mixture and combine to help lighten the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites until the mixture has a smooth, even consistency.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about an hour or until the cake springs back lightly when touched and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

5. While the cake is cooking, make the syrup. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat. Once the sugar is dissolved reduce the heat and simmer for two  minutes. Allow to cool.

6. When the cake is cooked, remove from the tin and while it is still hot, prick it all over with a skewer and then spoon half of the syrup on top, allowing it to soak in. Leave to cool a little.

7. To serve, dress with more syrup and some candied peel, if you like.

Serves 12

Double-decker zucchini cake

During my first summer at River Cottage Australia, I got a little carried away and planted two whole rows of zucchini. I realised my mistake when at the peak of their production I was harvesting a basket of zucchini every single day. The upside of this glut was that it inspired me to come up with new ways of using this plentiful ingredient. One of my more successful results is this delicious zucchini cake. The zucchini works brilliantly with a bit of tang from some lemon and a creamy mascarpone filling. Plus it's cake and vegetables combined, which makes it healthy, right?

180g unsalted butter

180g (¾ cup) caster sugar

juice and zest of 1 lemon

3 free-range eggs

100g self-raising flour

100g plain wholemeal flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground mixed spice

½ tsp salt

1 tsp poppy seeds

2 smallish zucchini

mascarpone filling

300ml double cream

250ml mascarpone

ICING

zest and juice of 1 lemon

250g (2 cups) pure icing sugar

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1. Preheat your oven to 180C and grease and line two 20cm round sandwich cake tins.

2. Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl and whisk until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one by one and continue beating until well combined.

3. Sift the flours, baking powder, mixed spice and salt into a mixing bowl, then add the poppy seeds and give the bowl a toss to combine. Fold the flour and spices into the butter mixture until well combined.

4. Coarsely grate the zucchini into a colander and then press them against the sides of the colander to force out any excess moisture. Fold the zucchini and lemon juice into the cake batter and then divide it evenly between the prepared cake tins.

5. Pop the tins into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for five to 10 minutes in the tins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. To make the mascarpone filling, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. In a separate bowl beat the mascarpone to soften and then fold in the whipped cream. Set it aside while you make the icing.

7. To make the icing, combine the lemon juice and icing sugar in a medium-sized bowl and beat together well. The consistency should be thick but still the tiniest bit runny. If it's too thick, add a little more lemon juice or water. If it's too runny, add more icing sugar.

8. When the cake is completely cool, use a spatula to spread the creamy filling onto the top of one of the cakes. Next, gently place the other cake on top and spoon the icing on top of that, using a small spatula to make sure that the surface is evenly covered. Sprinkle over the poppy seeds and lemon zest and allow the icing to set.

Serves 8

The River Cottage Australia Cookbook by Paul West (Bloomsbury $45)

River Cottage Australia season 3 will premiere Tuesday, May 26 on Foxtel's LifeStyle FOOD channel.