Now I am not a 'eat the cake mix off the spoon' type, but this cake is so simple and so good one lick of the cake mixture will seal it as your favourite cake. I came across this cake in a cookbook years ago, and it's origin has been credited from Margie Agostini's famous Sydney cafe, Caffe Agostini. Margie kindly shared it with Jill Dupleix, and the rest is history.
One thing I love about this cake is the simplicity of its ingredients. It makes the recipe so easy to remember and share with friends. It is the sort of cake that people go a bit silly about, and once you taste it you will understand why. Such a light butter cake with simplicity and goodness at its heart.
Serves 5
Takes 45-50 mins + cooling time
You can double ingredients and bake in a 30cm tin for 1 hour 10 mins for a larger group.
Ingredients:
- 250g butter
- 250g castor sugar
- 4 x eggs
- 1.5 tsp grated orange zest
- 250g self-raising flour
- 100ml freshly squeezed orange juice
Icing:
125g icing sugar and 5 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
MAKE THE CAKE
Heat the oven to 170C/Gas 3. You will need a 22 cm cake tin with removable sides, lined with non-stick baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar well, until it is very pale and thick - this will take quite a while
Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition, and the zest, if using. Add the flour all at once, and beat well, then slowly add the orange juice, until it is incorporated
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 45-50 minutes - or until an inserted skewer comes out clean (slow is best, so don' t be afraid to cook it longer. If it starts to brown too much on the top, cover loosely with a sheet of buttered kitchen foil)
Leave the cake in the tin on a wire rack to cool, then gently remove the sides of the tin
Cream the butter and sugar well, until it is very pale and thick - this will take quite a while
Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition, and the zest, if using. Add the flour all at once, and beat well, then slowly add the orange juice, until it is incorporated
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 45-50 minutes - or until an inserted skewer comes out clean (slow is best, so don' t be afraid to cook it longer. If it starts to brown too much on the top, cover loosely with a sheet of buttered kitchen foil)
Leave the cake in the tin on a wire rack to cool, then gently remove the sides of the tin
MAKE THE ICING
To make the icing, stir the orange juice into the icing sugar until you have the right spreading consistency, and apply with a palette knife, allowing the icing to drip down the sides of the cake. Leave the icing to set before cutting the cake into wedges and enjoying with natural yogurt or creme fraiche.
