Sicilian orange cake

(opposite)

In my view, orange cake must be moist and dense. For this Sicilian version, you use a whole, unpeeled orange. It remains the best orange cake I’ve ever tasted. The cornflour gives it an incredible texture.

SERVES 8 PEOPLE

ORANGE CAKE

> 150 g butter, at room temperature + extra

> 200 g (¾ cup + 4 t) sugar

> 3 extra-large eggs

> 1 t vanilla essence

> 1 cup cake flour

> 1 cup cornflour

> 2 t baking powder

> ½ cup plain yoghurt

> 1 T peach jam

> 1 red chilli (optional)

> 1 large unpeeled orange, sliced into pieces and pips removed

DRIZZLE

> ½ cup orange juice

> 5 cardamom pods

> 1⁄3 cup sugar

TO SERVE

> 250 g container creamy ricotta (or crème fraîche)

> handful of chopped pistachio nuts

Orange cake Grease a 25 cm castiron pot well with extra butter. Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Whisk in the eggs one by one, then add the vanilla essence. Add the cake flour, cornflour, baking powder, yoghurt and jam to the egg mixture. Place the chilli (if you are using it) and orange pieces in a food processor and purée. Add to the batter and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pot and bake for about 1 hour. After 50 minutes, use a skewer or tester. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. Drizzle Heat the orange juice, cardamom pods and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the cardamom pods. Pour the drizzle over the cake as soon as you remove it from the heat. Allow to cool completely. Carefully loosen the cake and turn out onto a serving platter or serve it directly from the pot. To serve Serve with creamy ricotta or crème fraîche and sprinkle pistachio nuts over. Alternatively, decorate it with orange slices if you like.