This is a traditional Italian sweet cake. It is usually served in the morning for breakfast or as an afternoon snack cake. It makes the perfect Christmas morning breakfast or brunch treat. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then you will need an 8-inch rectangle or round tin, greased and lightly floured.

Take a medium-sized mixing bowl and add pastry flour to it. Add baking powder plus a pinch of salt, then mix them. Set it aside. Next, take a large mixing bowl and add softened butter and orange zest, then beat them until nice and creamy. Add granulated sugar to the mix and beat then for about 2 minutes.

Add two eggs plus one egg yolk one at a time to the butter mixture and beat well after each addition. Add half a teaspoon of vanilla and mix that all together until nice and combined. Add the flour to the egg mixture in two additions, mix until all the flour is moistened, then beat in room-temperature milk and orange juice.

Mix them until combined and the batter is of uniform consistency; do not overbeat the batter. Once done, add the batter to the prepared cake pan and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. While the cake is baking, you can make this substitute glaze by adding a cup of icing sugar to a bowl and three tablespoons of orange juice, then mixing it all.

If it’s too watery, add more icing sugar. If it’s too thick, add more orange juice. Your glaze should not be too thick. Once the cake is baked and cooled, remove it from the pan and glaze it. This cake is soft and melts in your mouth. Enjoy.

Ingredients;

  • 2 cups (250 grams) pastry/ cake flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • One pinch salt
  • 1 cup (230 grams) butter (softened)
  • zest from 2 oranges (about 2-3 tablespoons)
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated suga (not powdered sugar)
  • Two large eggs (room temperature)
  • One large egg yolk (room temperature)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (90 grams) milk (room temperature; I used whole milk)
  • Two tablespoons of fresh-squeezed orange juice

Glaze (optional)

  • 1-2 cups powdered sugar (sifted) (120-240)
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Instructions;

  1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease and flour an 8-inch (20cm) cake pan.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Beat the butter and zest until creamy, approximately 1 -2 minutes; add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and yolk one at a time, beating between each addition; add the vanilla and beat to combine on medium to high speed for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the flour in 2 additions. Beat in the milk and then the orange juice. Beat until combined for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
  5. Once baked, let it cool in the pan, then move to a wire rack or cake plate. Dust the cake with powdered sugar and or drizzle with the glaze. Enjoy.
    Orange Glaze;
  6. In a small/medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and orange juice. If the mixture is too thick, add more juice or even milk or cream. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar and drizzle over the cooled or warmish cake.