J’s Moist Orange Cake

Long long time ago, before I got married I used to work for the most amazing boss ever… she was smart, funny, compassionate and great at her job. She also happened to be an accomplished baker who very kindly shared her luscious home made treats with us… that’s how I came across this recipe for Moist Orange Cake. Its one of those few recipes I’ve actually sought out after eating the result. This cake has got a great crumb, and has the right amount of moistness without being dense or heavy. The orange is never overpowering but delicately flavors and scents the cake, enticing and teasing you…

Try this cake… you won’t regret it.

J’s Moist Orange Cake

What You Need:

1-1/2 cups Brown Sugar

½ cup Unsalted Butter

3 Eggs

Zest of one Orange

½ cup of Orange Juice

2 cups of All Purpose Flour (Maida)

½ Teaspoon Salt

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

½ cup Milk

¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Getting Down To Business:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees/ 180 degrees. Prepare either a tube cake pan or a loaf pan by greasing it and then dusting on flour. Be sure to shake off any excess flour. Keep aside.

Shift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Keep aside.

Beat together the sugar and the butter till combined and creamy. Add the eggs one by one. Beat well till combined. Now add in the orange zest and juice. Mix well.

If the mixture looks curdled or funky, don’t worry… all will be well!

Add in the shifted flour mixture in turns alternating with the milk. Start with the flour and end with the flour.

Beat at low speed or gently fold everything in by hand.

Add in your chopped walnuts and stir gently.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and pop into the oven for 25 to 35 minutes till a toothpick/ knife comes out clean and the cake springs back when you touch it.

Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes. Then gently run a knife along the edges and invert onto the wire rack. Let it cool completely. (I’ll admit I couldn’t wait that long!)

Icing: Optional as the cake is quite moist and flavorful by itself I never iced the cake but this is the icing suggested by J.

Creamy Vanilla Icing

What You Need:

1 cup Sugar

½ cup All purpose flour

1 1/3 cups Milk

1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened

1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract or 3 tablespoons of Orange Juice

Getting Down To Business:

In a sauce pan combine sugar and flour well.

Whisk in the milk and keep stirring till its smooth.

Now place the saucepan on heat and over medium high heat, keep stirring frequently and let it thicken and boil.

Reduce heat to low and sit on the stove for 2 minutes but keep stirring continuously.

Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Separately beat the butter at medium speed till light and fluffy. Add in the cooled milk mixture and the vanilla.

Ice cake as desired.

Notes:

The original recipe calls for white sugar but I used brown sugar for an added depth of flavor.

Also the original recipe did not include the walnuts but it adds a lovely change of texture to the cake and is perfection indeed.

When grating the zest of the orange (it’s nothing but the outer skin/ rind of the orange), be careful not to go so deep that you grate the white pith too. While the zest is super aromatic and flavorful, the pith is very bitter.