Monday, November 28, 2011

Simple orange cake (that got devoured in a couple of hours) + a lovely movie

Simple orange cake / Bolo simples de laranja

I thought I was the only one around here who loves simple cakes, but apparently my coworkers share my opinion: this orange cake got devoured in a couple of hours and was elected their favorite baked good – who would imagine that orange could beat chocolate and caramel?

Speaking of favorites, I watched “Restless” last Saturday and absolutely loved it – sensitive, delicate, with nice dialogs, moving without being sappy. Just beautiful. If Gus Van Sant continues to make movies like this I might forget he was responsible for “Finding Forrester” and “Good Will Hunting”. Might. :)

Simple orange cake
adapted from the always wonderful Bon Appetit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful

Cake:
3 cups (420g) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups (266g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
finely grated zest of 2 oranges – the ones I used were the size of my head, lots of zest
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (390g) plain yogurt
¼ cup (60ml) orange juice

Glaze:
1 ½ cups (210g) icing sugar
2-3 tablespoons orange juice

Start by making the cake: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter and flour a 32.5x22.5x5cm (13x9x2-in) metal baking pan. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter in large bowl until blended and smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then orange zest and vanilla extract. Mix in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with yogurt in 3 additions. Mix in orange juice. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake cake 50-60 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan over a wire rack.
Make the icing: sift icing sugar into a small bowl, add the juice gradually and mix until desired consistency. Drizzle over the cake*.
Cake can be kept in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

* I made the exact recipe above using a 20x30cm (8x12in) metal baking pan; since the pan has a removable bottom, I unmolded the cake before drizzling it with the icing

Serves 15

11 comments:

  1. I ♥ citrus cakes! This looks delightful! And thanks for the movie suggestion. :-D

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  2. I don't think it is possible that I could love this more than your lime cake, but I'll certainly give it a try (a side-by-side taste test might be in order...like I need an excuse to make these cakes). Sounds delicious...sometimes simple is best. Give me citrus any day over chocolate!!!!!

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  3. Dear Patricia,

    Am really glad that you post another citrus cake. really enticing. I just bake one last night using the recipe that you posted on Monday, March 1, 2010. That orange cake is delicious. So far I've tried 2 recipes from your blog and all of them were successfully baked and eaten (only thing is that I somehow reduced the sugar by 10 to 20gm less)

    Keep on posting the good food.

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  4. Looks delicious. Sometime classic simple flavours are the way to go :)

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  5. Classic cakes are always the best...especially when shared and with a cup of tea! Great job!

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  6. Super spongy cake,looks fabulous..

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  7. Lovely cake, it seems so light !

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  8. Sounds like a perfect tea cake. And I love tea time!
    It's beautiful to boot.

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  9. I found that a simple cake is more delicious, as this kind of cake has a kind of home tasting, well, it's homemade, but you can feel it in your mouth, in your nose...it has the taste of the cakes we used to eat at grandma's

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  10. Been searching for a light 'clean' tasting cake in the middle of all the Christmas excesses...will def try this :)
    Looks delicious, already picturing myself enjoying it with Lady Grey tea :P

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