Oranges and other citrus fruit contain vitamin C, which is key for eye health. The vitamin, found mainly in fresh fruits and vegetables, contributes to healthy blood vessels in your eyes. It can combat the development of cataracts, and in combination with other vitamins and nutrients, age-related macular degeneration.
Orange Spice Cake
A fresh, spiced orange cake. I used paper stars as stencils when dusting with icing sugar to give a pretty pattern, you could also use a doiley. If liked, you can ice the cake as well as fill it. Use just under half the orange filling to sandwich the cakes together, and spread the rest on top.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE
1 small thin-skinned orange
275g (10 oz) self-raising flour
3 level teaspoons baking powder
275g (10 oz) caster sugar
225g (8 oz) butter, softened
4 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
FOR THE ORANGE FILLING
50g (2 oz) butter, softened
175g (6 oz) icing sugar, sifted,
plus a little extra for dusting
2 level tablespoons orange pulp,
reserved from the cake
INSTRUCTIONS
SERVES 8
Preheat the oven to 180oC/Fan 160oC/Gas 4. Grease and base-line two deep 20cm (8 in) tins with greased grease proof paper.
Place the whole orange in a small saucepan, cover with boiling water and simmer until soft, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
When the orange is soft and cold, cut in half and remove any pips. Process the whole orange, including the skin, until medium chunky. Reserve 2 level tablespoons of the orange pulp for the icing, and put the rest back in the processor. Add the remaining cake ingredients and blend until smooth. Avoid over mixing. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tins for a few moments, then turn out, peel off the paper and finish cooling on a wire rack.
To make the orange filling, cream the soft butter, then add the sifted icing sugar and reserved orange pulp. Sandwich the cakes together with the icing, and sift icing sugar over the top of the cake.
IN THE AGA - Bake on the grid shelf on the floor of the Roasting Oven with the cold plain shelf on the second set of runners for 20–25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. When the cakes are cooked, they should be shrinking away from the sides of the tins and be pale golden brown.
PREPARING AHEAD - Best eaten freshly made but it will store in an airtight container for 2–3 days. You could also freeze the filled cake for up to 2 months. Thaw for 2–3 hours at room temperature.
TIP -Thin-skinned oranges are usually smaller – avoid using Jaffa oranges as they have a very thick pith.
This recipe is taken from: The Christmas Collection
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