It's that in-between stage between Christmas and New Year's, and what better way to spend the time than baking? Mary Berry has shared a plethora of cake recipes throughout her career, but this spiced orange is a favourite.
The recipe notes said: "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 doily. If you like, 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." This cake serves eight people, so it's perfect for gatherings.
Ingredients:For the cake:
One small thin-skinned orange
275g self-raising flour
Three level teaspoons of baking powder
275g caster sugar
225g butter, softened
Four eggs
One teaspoon of ground cinnamon
One teaspoon of mixed spice
For the orange filling:
50g butter, softened
175g icing sugar, sifted, plus a little extra for dusting
Two level teaspoons of orange pulp, reserved from the cake
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan before greasing and lining two 20cm tins with greased greaseproof 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 it in half and remove any pips. Process the whole orange, including the skin, until medium chunky. Reserve two level teaspoons of the orange pulp for the icing, and put the rest back in the processor. You can also mix by hand or in an electric mixer.
Add the remaining cake ingredients and blend until smooth. Avoid overmixing. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes, 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.
This is best eaten fresh, but it will store in an airtight container for two to three days.
