Olive oil and almond cake with mandarin and honey syrup

• 2 cups almonds
• 2½ cups castor sugar
• 3 cups matzo flour
• 3 cups matzo meal
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2½ cups light olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 eggs

Grind the almonds with the sugar in food processor. Place the remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the sugar and almonds and mix well with a wooden spoon. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the oil, water and eggs with a fork. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the oil, water and egg mixture. Combine into a soft dough. Oil a 22x30cm cake tin. Bake for 30–35 minutes at 150ºC. Pour over the syrup while still lukewarm and cut into diamonds. Serves 10–12.

For the syrup:

1½ cups sugar
1½ cups water
4 tbsp honey
juice and rind of 1 mandarin

Bring all ingredients to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour over the lukewarm cake.