Fresh orange cake

A super-easy, all-in-one showstopper that takes minutes to mix up and get in the oven.

SERVES 12 PREP 40min, plus cooling COOK 35min

• 200g self-raising flour

• 1tsp baking powder

• 3 large eggs

• 200g unsalted butter, softened

• 200g golden caster sugar

• 2tbsp whole milk

• Grated zest of 1 large unwaxed orange

• 2tsp Sicilian orange extract

• 12 mini orange jelly slices, to decorate FOR THE FILLING

• 280g full-fat cream cheese

• 50g unsalted butter

• 500g icing sugar, sifted

• Grated zest of 1 large unwaxed orange

1 Heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Base line 2x20cm round cake tins with baking paper. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a large bowl. Add eggs, butter, sugar, milk, orange zest and orange extract and beat everything together until mixture is smooth.

2 Spoon half the sponge mixture into each prepared tin and level surface with a palette knife. Bake for 30-35min, or until cakes are firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.

3 Remove from oven and leave cakes to cool in the tins for 5min, then turn out onto a wire rack and peel off paper. Leave to cool completely.

4 Meanwhile, make filling. Beat cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until just incorporated, then beat in the icing sugar and orange zest until thick and smooth.

5 Use ½ the filling mixture to sandwich the two sponges together, then spread ¼ of remaining filling over the top. Spoon the remaining ¼ into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round nozzle and pipe 12 evenly spaced blobs around the edge of the cake. Top each blob with an orange jelly slice.