Friday 27 June 2008

Orange Cake


"There's a special kind of freedom sisters enjoy.
Freedom to share innermost thoughts, to ask a favour,
to show their true feelings. The freedom to simply be themselves."
Author Unknown

I have a sister who means the world to me, while we no longer share a continent and I have not seen her in 8 years, I still feel the bond we shared when we would lie in bed together and she would tell me ghost stories.

My sister is 7 years older than me and she still thinks of me as her baby sister. She has never been ashamed to take me anywhere with her, which is a credit to her and not my maturity. When I was only 13 (and she was already 21), she would take me out with her friends, and dared anyone to complain about the kid. She loved me and gave me tips on boys, make-up and everything else that mothers just aren't qualified to do.

Still today, she'll send me little gifts and messages that make me smile and know how special I really am. Even something as simple as a magazine, which is were I got the recipe for this lovely orange cake. I only wish we could have sat together and had a "cuppa" with a slice of cake and talked like we used to in the old days.

This recipe is dedicated to the world's best sister Janice - or Janna as only I call her - from me your Lamb Chops!

She lives in Australia and sent me the Australian Women's Weekly. This recipe is from there.

Orange Cake

1 medium (240g) whole orange
200g butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten lightly
10ml Orange blossom Water (my optional extra)
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour
10ml Baking Powder (my optional extra)

CITRUS ICING
1 medium (140g) lemon
1 small (180g) orange
1 cup (160g) icing sugar mixture
1 teaspoon boiling water, approximately

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Grease a deep 20cm cake pan, line base with baking paper.

Wash and dry orange; cut into quarters and remove seeds.
Process in a food processor until pulpy.

Transfer orange to a mixing bowl, stir in butter, eggs, sugar, orange blossom water and beat until light and sugar is dissolved - this is easily done with a machine.
Add the sifted flour and baking powder and blend with a metal spoon until smooth.
Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for about 40 - 50 minutes or until cooked when tested.
Stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

CITRUS ICING:

Using a zester or grater, remove zest from lemon and orange
Squeeze juice from fruit - you will need 2 teaspoons orange juice and 2 teaspoons lemon juice.
Sift icing sugar into a bowl
Stir in juices make smooth paste.
Stir in rind.
Cover cake in the icing and serve.

This cake is even better the next day, once the flavours have had more time to develop.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the type of cake I like! I'll put on the coffee ;)

Homemade Heaven said...

Maryann - This is a cake I'll be making very often, it is so quick and easy and the result is light but PACKED with flavour.

Nina Timm said...

I have a sister like this, except I am the big sis. A blessing indeed. lovely cake!!!

test it comm said...

That orange cake looks really good!

Nic said...

I lived away from my little sis for a long time, I hope you can get together in the near future.
The cake looks awesome, I've put it on the (long) list to try!

Proud Italian Cook said...

This cake looks so moist and I love orange! It sounds so good! Lucky you to have been blessed with a sister like that, a true treasure! I hope you both can see each other more often.

Kit said...

Sounds delicious - I love anything with orange or lemon in it. Maybe I'll try it for a birthday that is coming up.

Homemade Heaven said...

Nina - I love being the baby - spoilt rotten!
Kevin - Thanks it sure is.
Nicisme - Not likely we'll ever live close, but a visit would be good.
Kit - It's become a family favorite over night!

La Bella Cooks said...

It must be wonderful to have a sister. I always wished for one like yours!! I absolutely love citrus cakes and yours looks delicious.

Homemade Heaven said...

Bridgett - I am very lucky to have her! The orange cake is really good.

Jeanne said...

Mmmm, I love lemon cake. I have a "little" brother who still lives in PE and I miss him beyond words. When we were recently on holiday in Switzerland, I texted him some obscure quote from a pop music programme we taped probably 25 years ago. He replied in about 30 seconds, correctly identifying the quote - as I knew he would. He rocks.

Homemade Heaven said...

Jeanne - Janice and I can say one word and the other will be able to finish the sentence - even today after being away for so long.

Jeremiah 17: 7-8

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water."

It is not your business to succeed, but to do what is right : when you have done so, the rest lies with God.
C.S. Lewis

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