ORANGE CAKE

January is the month for citrus fruit and the traditional time for making marmalade. This is an orange cake that is now well established as a family favourite.

CAKE

170G SOFT BUTTER 170G CASTER SUGAR 170G SELF-RAISING FLOUR 1 LEVEL TSP BAKING POWDER 3 EGGS 1 ORANGE (ORGANIC OR UNWAXED)

ICING

85G SOFT BUTTER 230 ICING SUGAR 2 TBSP ORANGE JUICE

Set the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4. Line 2 round shallow cake tins 18cm in diameter with buttered paper.

Cut up the butter and put into a mixing bowl with the sugar and the eggs. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Finely grate most of the orange zest into the mixing bowl, saving a heaped teaspoonful for the icing.

Beat together the contents of the bowl until smooth and creamy. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake for 20-30 minutes in the centre of the oven.

When the cakes are done they will spring back when gently poked with a finger. Take them out of the oven and remove from the tins on to a wire rack and peel off the paper. Leave to cool.

To make the icing put the butter into a bowl and sift in the icing sugar. Add the juice of half the orange and the reserved grated lemon zest. Beat well until pale and creamy.

Spread half the icing over one of the cooled cakes and put the other one on top and cover with the remaining icing.