A good orange cake is a really good thing to know how to make. Recipes abound in this category but I must say, this version im sharing with you today, might be my favourite yet. Why? Because the recipe is easy to make, the orange flavour is punchy and the texture is light (see video below). Not to mention that addictive little crunchy lemon drizzle icing! All in all, I think this is a perfect orange cake.
This little cake is a bit of a riff on a lemon and olive oil cake that I wrote a recipe for last winter. I loved it so much because it was almost chiffon like in its texture. Like a little lemon cloud so light I could float away on it. I wondered if I could adapt this recipe and make it a little more sturdy to hold up lots of little bits of whole pureed orange, maybe I would use brown butter which I love for its flavour and I would aim to reduce the sugar to allow for an uber sweet lemon drizzle. I had to adjust the ratio of fat:flour:sugar but in the end, it was absolutely delicious. Still lighter than a classic lemon drizzle cake which is more like pound cake in texture-this cake is pretty soft and tender. And those flavours of brown butter and vanilla? Wow! So good with the orange.
The whole orange is truly just that. I cut and blend one whole orange (sans seeds, of course) and make a puree. Many cake recipes that utilise this whole orange method will ask you to boil the orange, several times in different changes of water. This is to get rid of that slight bitter flavour which you find in the pith of the orange. All the boiling is the step in a recipe that would make my inner “lazy girl chef” roll her eyes. But skip that step entirely and she will jump up with excitement and ready to bake. And you know what? I don’t mind a slight bitterness. It makes the cake taste almost marmalade-y (which I love but if you don’t, I give an easy tip below). The bitterness being an excellent foil for all the sweetness and working to balance all the elements in perfect harmony. If you make this cake in citrus season, which we are in now, it’s hardly noticeable.
If you are still weary and don’t want to risk it you can microplane all the zest and then carefully slice, remove and discard the pith and puree the “meat” of the orange, giving you all the flavour without any bitterness and without boiling.
I bake the cake in a loaf tin too because I love the smaller size of a loaf as opposed to a bundt. It means there is just enough for two people to enjoy 1-2 slices and still have half a cake to give away. If you’ve been here with me a while, you know I am an advocate for cake donation. There is no better way to brighten someone’s day than with cake and I can say from experience this cake may even bring them to tears.
A note on loaf tins: your loaf tin may not be the exact dimensions I give in the recipe. A bit bigger is ok, smaller is not as it will spill over the edges as it bakes. Just be vigilant as a bigger loaf tin will bake in less time than the recipe states. You could also bake this in a baking paper lined 23cm round. Again, just watch the timing as it will bake in less time.
This cake, like a fine wine, may even get better with (some) time. We tried it on day 2 & 3 and it was arguably better than day 1. So feel free to bake and drizzle in advance. Yet another reason to love this little cake.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and I hope you have some quiet time on the weekend to enjoy the process and then enjoy the fruits of your labour. It’s so perfect on these cold days with a nice hot cuppa. As always, please feel free to reach out to me here, via my website or on instagram with any questions or comments. I love hearing from you and love to know what you’re cooking. Have a great weekend! xx
Orange & Brown Butter Loaf Cake with Lemon Drizzle
Out now: Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking
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