Easy Orange Cake

This recipe is very easy indeed, and doesn’t take long to make.  It is a lovely, light Easy Orange Cake.  Although I did all the mixing in my stand mixer it can easily be by hand, with a whisk, or with a hand mixer.

I used a 9 inch/23 cm spring form pan but, as the tin needs to be greased and lined, any 9 inch round cake tin would be fine, as the parchment paper will ensure the cake is released easily.  Equally if you only have an 8 inch round or springform pan you could use that but would have to increase the baking time a little to take account of the fact that the batter will have a greater depth in the smaller tin.

As I mentioned the recipe is very simple and it only takes about 35 minutes to bake, so this can be mixed, baked and cooling within an hour. 

The cake will rise during baking and it may crack a little on the top, but that wont affect the texture or taste.  I sifted icing sugar on the top of mine for serving but the cake could also be covered in some  frosting if desired. Indeed you could even cut the cake into two layers and sandwich them back together with some marmalade, or orange flavoured buttercream.

I kept mine simple as I wanted to have just the simple orange flavour and the light texture.  I am very pleased with how it turned out, as it tasted very good indeed and was baked to perfection, even if I say so myself.

Ingredients:

• 270g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) plain flour
• 80g(5 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
• 125g(1/2 cup+2 tbsp) caster sugar(or granulated)
• 180ml(3/4 cup) orange juice with no pulp in it
• 3 medium eggs(large in USA)
• 10g(2 1/2 tsp) baking powder
• grated zest from 2 or 3 oranges, depending on size
• 1/4 tsp salt.
• Icing sugar for dusting.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/340F.
2. Grease and line the base and side of a 9 inch/23 cm round springform pan.
3. Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix together until combined and fluffy(scrape down the bowl as required).
4. With the mixer running add the eggs, one at a time and the orange zest, and mix until all is well combined.
5. Place the baking powder and salt into the same bowl as the flour and mix to fully combine.
6. Add that dry mixer into the egg batter, a spoonful at a time, keeping the mixer on as it all becomes combined.
7. Slowly add the orange juice with the mixer going all the time, until the mixture is fully combined and quite runny.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and shake a little to ensure that it is level.
9. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, until the top is firm to the touch when pressed and a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven and all the cake to cool in the tin before serving.