Week 12: Orange cake

This week, we're making orange cake!

What can I say about orange cake? This is a dense, rich cake made with butter and plenty of eggs. I prefer to make my cakes with less sugar than a lot of recipes call for, which in my opinion puts the emphasis more on the ingredients that give a cake taste - vanilla, cocoa powder or as in this case, orange. Great to serve with tea, or take into work to leave by the coffee machine. Everyone will love you for it!

Orange cake

Ingredients

250 g self-rising flour (or flour with baking powder)

125 unsalted butter, melted

150 g castor sugar

3 eggs

100 ml orange juice

Finely grated zest of 2 oranges

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Centigrade.

Beat the eggs and sugar for 10-12 minutes, until very thick. Keep beating while pouring in the butter, then the orange juice and zest. Sift the flour and salt into the mixture. Using a spatula, fold the flour into the batter until it's smooth (but no longer!). Pour the batter in a well-buttered gugelhupf. Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean and dry. Leave to cool in the gugelhupf for 15 minutes, then tip unto a rack and leave to cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!

Tip: Make an orange syrup from orange juice and sugar or orange juice and honey and sprinkle this over the cake before serving.