Drizzle Cake Isn't Just for Lemons

Being a keen baker I’ve recently started to expand my repertoire into adaptations of other peoples recipes. As baking is more science & precision than other cookery forms you can’t deviate too much without drastic changes in results. I’m a great fan of The Hairy Bikers cookbooks, as after extensive usage for all sorts of meals they’ve never let me down (are you listening Gary Rhodes & Jamie Oliver!). Having recently used their Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe with a great response from family & friends I thought I may try the same recipe using Oranges instead. Official verdict is that the Orange Drizzle Cake is even better, not quite as sharp but with a longer lasting and rather lovely aftertaste. Below is the adapted recipe I use for my cake.

Ingredients: 1 Orange ,well scrubbed. 275g granulated sugar. 175g unsalted butter softened, plus extra for greasing. 200g self-raising flour. ½ tsp baking powder. 3 large free-range eggs. 1 tbsp poppy seeds

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas 4. Base line a 900g (2lb) non-stick loaf tin with baking parchment and butter well. Finely grate the orange zest. Put the 175g sugar, butter, flour, baking powder and lemon zest in a food processor and blend on the pulse setting until just combined, thick and smooth. (Make sure you read the sugar amounts correctly & don’t mix the full 275g). Pour in the poppy seeds and give the mix one more quick spin to distribute them.
2. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for 35 minutes or until well risen and pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Squeeze the orange and mix the 3 tbsp of the juice with the remaining 100g  granulated sugar.
3. Invert the cake on to a wire rack set above a small tray or plate. Remove the baking parchment and gently turn the right way up. Make 50-60 deep holes in the cake using a skewer.
4. Slowly and gradually, spoon over half the orange sugar, allowing it to thoroughly coat the top of the cake and drizzle down the sides in plates. Stand for 5 minutes then do the same with the remaining orange sugar. Leave to set for at least an hour or until the icing has crystallised. Serve the cake in thick slices, (it goes rather well with a cup of Tea).