The shops are always full of delicious oranges, from intense flavoured blood oranges to Seville oranges for making your marmalade.  This is a real goodie, full of those wonderful citrus flavours.  You don’t need a mixer or processer to make it, just a bowl and a whisk or wooden spoon.  It’s a dairy free recipe and can be gluten free too.

This orange cake recipe is taken from the blog Norfolk’s Own Cookbook – more information on Norfolk’s Own Cookbook can be found at the end of the recipe.

 

Ingredients – Serves 10

• 100g fresh bread crumbs or gluten free breadcrumbs
• 300g caster sugar
• 165g ground almonds
• 2¼ level teaspoons of baking powder (gluten free if required)
• 330ml light rapeseed oil or sunflower oil
• 6 medium free range eggs
• Zest of 1½ large oranges, finely grated
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
• Cream or Greek yogurt to serve

For the citrus syrup

• Juice of 1½ oranges
• Juice of 1½ lemons
• 125g sugar
• 1½ cinnamon sticks
• 3 cloves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°F/Gas mark 4.  Grease and line the base of a round 23cm (9in), 6cm (2in) deep cake tin, spring form if you have one.
2. Mix the breadcrumbs with the sugar, ground almonds and baking powder.  In a separate bowl whisk together the oil and eggs, then add to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Stir in the orange and lemon zest and pour into the prepared tin.
3. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and the inserted skewer comes out clean.
4. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a large plate.
5. To make the citrus syrup, put all the ingredients into a stainless steel saucepan and bring gently to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely.  Simmer for about 3 minutes.
6. While the orange cake is still warm, pierce it several times with a skewer.  Spoon the hot syrup over the cake and leave to cool.  Spoon any excess syrup back over the cake every now and then, until all the juice has been completely soaked up.
7. Finish with the cinnamon and cloves from the syrup and serve with whipped cream, thick Greek yogurt or a dairy free alternative.

Hints and Tips

• To cook in an Aga: 3 and 4 oven Agas, cook in the baking oven; 2 oven Agas, bake in the roasting oven using the cold shelf.
• This orange cake will keep for at least 5 days and it freezes brilliantly.

Norfolk’s Own Cookbook

Norfolk is a bounteous county with an incredible array of crops, eateries and artisan creators.  The best makers, bakers and growers from across the Norfolk acres have come together to support this venture with funds, enthusiasm and a wealth of skills.  In all, there are 80 recipes using the best of Norfolk produce.  Top chefs, including Galton Blackiston, Chris Coubrough, Richard Hughes and Roger Hickman have contributed.

There is something remarkably special about this book.  Thanks to the subscriptions of the contributors and the generosity of the many sponsors, all the production costs are covered and every penny of the £20 retail cost will go to Marie Curie and thus every single book sold will provide one hour of care and support for those who wish to spend their last few months, weeks or days at home.

Other delicious cake recipes