Rich orange cake

by Leah Halmagyi

Ingredients

  • For the cake 2 oranges
  • 150g unsalted butter, softened
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 100g honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 325g self-raising flour   For the syrup and candied orange 2 oranges
  • 300g caster sugar   For the buttercream 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 250g icing sugar mixture
  • 1 tsp natural vanilla paste

Instructions

For the cake

1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Chop the oranges into small pieces, removing all seeds. Place the oranges pieces in a food processor and pulse until a coarse paste forms. Add the butter, sugar and honey, then puree until smooth. Mix in the eggs and yolk and pulse several times, then transfer to a large bowl.
2 Beat in the flour, then spoon into a lined 24cm cake tin and bake for 50 minutes, until a skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly.

 

For the syrup and candied orange

1 Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin of the oranges, then cut away the pith using a sharp knife. Slice into thin strips. Combine half the sugar with one cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the orange zest strips and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until syrupy. Set aside to cool.
2 Juice the oranges and strain into a second small saucepan with the remaining sugar. Bring to a boil. When the cake is baked, brush the syrup over and set aside to cool completely.

 

For the buttercream

1 Combine the butter ad half the icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the vanilla and beta with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for 5 minutes, until very pale.

 

To assemble

1 Remove the cake from the tin and set on a cake board. Spread the buttercream on top, then garnish with the candied orange.