Orange Sponge Cake

I was originally given this with the recommendation that it was the world's most amazing orange cake - they weren't far wrong!   The given quantity was absolutely massive, so I opted for half size, and a single layer cake, as it has a delicious orange glacé icing that would be lost in the middle of two pieces.  Also, it is cooked low and slow, and has a beautiful texture.  Move over, lemon, this orange cake is going places!

Amazing Orange Cake

AMAZING ORANGE CAKE

8oz/250g butter

8oz/250g caster sugar

4 large eggs

1 dessert spoon grated orange zest

8oz/250g self raising flour

3floz/90ml fresh orange juice

Icing:

25ml orange juice

4oz/110g icing sugar (approx)

Preheat the oven to 170 deg C, and line a 22cm springform cake tin with parchment, and grease  the sides well with butter.     Cream the butter and sugar well until very pale.  This will take a while.  Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each one (you can add 1 tbsp of the flour at the same time to stop the mix from curdling, and the orange zest. Add the remaining flour, and beat well, then slowly add the orange juice.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake for approx 45 minutes, or until a warm skewer comes out clean.  Slow is best, so don't be afraid to cook it longer.  If it starts to brown on the top, cover loosely with a sheet of  foil.

Leave the cake in the tin on a wire rack to cool, then gently remove the sides of the tin.

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 it to drip down the sides of the cake if you wish.  Leave the icing to set before cutting the cake.