MOIST ORANGE SYRUP CAKE

Citrusy tasting food has always caught my attention, but until now I never really baked anything with oranges (don’t ask me why…), so I thought that I would remediate to this deplorable situation by making this delicious cake!
Basically, this recipe is not too different from it’s close cousin the lemon syrup cake, but taste-wise it has not much in common although both are made with citrus fruits.

If you like moist syrupy cakes, then this one’s for you! It is humid and spongy to please and really tasteful. The recipe is maybe very simple and basic, but the end result is really fantastic. The orange rind brings a bitter and yet almost caramelly flavor to this cake and the syrup adds a little sourness (very light, though) to it’s mellowness. This orange cake is delicately perfumed and is the ideal accompaniment to a good cup of tea!...

This recipe is based upon that from The Australian Women’s Weekly “Quick-Mix Cakes” book and was freely modified and adapted by myself.

Ingredients:
Batter:
90g Unsalted butter
165g Castor sugar
180ml Milk
1Tbs Orange rind, grated
1 Egg (~50g)
225g Plain white flour
1 1/2 Tsp Baking powder
1Tsp Vanilla extract
Syrup:
70ml Orange juice (or 90ml if you only use orange juice)
20ml Lemon juice
85g Castor sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven at 180°C (350°F) and put a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. In a bowl, put the sugar, orange rind and vanilla extract together with the butter.
3. Cream the mixture until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg, beating well until totally incorporated.
5. Fold in sifled flour (with the baking powder) and milk gradually. Stir until well combined.
6. Pour the batter into prepared rectangular or round cake tin.
7. Bake for about 45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean when pushed into the thickiest part of the cake.
8. Stand for about 5 minutes.
9. Meanwhile mixt together the sugar, orange juice and lemon juice. Stir over heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil and remove from heat.
10. Once the 5 minutes have passed, pour syrup evenly over hot cake.
11. Let the cake cool before eating.

Remarks:
Be careful not to grate the rind down to the white inner skin as it is bitter.
If you wish, you can only use orange juice for the syrup.

Serving suggestions:
Eat at any time of the day with tea or coffee.

(Syrup Cake -Pic by www.mkweb.co.uk)
(Moist Orange Syrup Cake -Pic by Rosa www.rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com)
(Oranges -Pic by www.abc.net)