Oranges are in season at the moment and this celebration cake is big enough to feed a crowd. I have used a round 3.5L capacity cake tin. To check if your cake tin is big enough, fill it with water and then pour the water into a measuring jug.
Serves 20
INGREDIENTS
450g unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 oranges, zest
3 cups flour
Juice of 3 oranges
½ cup milk
4 eggs
6 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan bake)
Cream the butter, sugar and orange zest well, until the sugar crystals have dissolved – about 20 minutes.
Beat the eggs in, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Fold in the flour alternating with the orange juice and milk.
Bake at 180°C for 40 minutes. Check the cake at this point and if it is browning too quickly, turn the oven down to 170°C and bake for another 10 – 20 minutes. To check if the cake is cooked, pierce the centre with a skewer, which should come out clean. The edges of the cake should shrink from the side of the tin and the top of the cake should bounce back when you touch it with your finger.
Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then run a pallet knife around the edges of the cake and invert it onto a cake rack. Ice when the cake is completely cold.
ICING
17 dessertspoons of icing sugar, sifted
50g butter, melted
Juice of 1 orange
METHOD
Beat all the ingredients together until smooth and of a stiff pouring consistency. Add more juice if necessary to make it runnier – or more icing sugar to stiffen it up.
Place the cake and its rack over an upturned bowl and spoon the icing over the cake, allowing it to run down over the sides. Smooth with a pallet knife. Decorate with edible (or non-poisonous) flowers when the icing is completely cold.