Orange sandwich cake - Random recipes #4 Just desserts

I've been meaning to join in with Dom's random recipe challenge since he first announced it a few months ago, but for various reasons haven't managed it. This month, however, I was determined that I would make the recipe before the deadline. And, by happy chance the theme for this month is 'Just desserts' - perfect for my blog!

I've been having a bit of a tidy up recently and decided that instead of having all my recipe books scattered around the house, I would move them all into one bookcase. The trouble being, of course, that I don't have a bookcase big enough for all of them. So a trip to blue and yellow hell, sorry IKEA, was in order (actually, I don't mind IKEA, you just have to pick the right time to go). And so after much huffing and puffing (do you know how much flat pack bookcases weigh???) I have ended up with these. Plus a couple of bruises to tell me that it's a really bad idea to pretend you're stronger than you are and try to up-end said flatpack using your thigh as a fulcrum. Ouch.

Anyway, the point of that little story is that all my cookery books are now together and as I've organised them so that dessert books are in one section it was easy to run my finger along the spines and stop, randomly. I chose Cakes Regional and Traditional, by Julie Duff. I have actually baked a couple of other things from this book, and was quite pleased to have picked it, because I know that there are a lot more recipes in there that I want/ought to try. Next to choose the recipe.... flicking through the book with my eyes closed and stopping yielded Orange sandwich cake. I was one happy bunny. No cheating required!!!

A slight problem though. Recipe requires two 6"/15cm cake tins. I own one. Never mind, thought I, I will buy another of the same style from the same shop where I purchased the original. Nowhere to be found. Hmm. Ah well, buy another that seems to be the right size. Or not. See evidence below.

The same size?

Not the same size :-(

So I actually made the recipe in two batches, one cake, bake, second mix, bake. For the record, I used the slightly larger silver tin. Was it worth the palaver? Yes!

Orange sandwich cake

Ingredients

115g butter, softened

175g caster sugar

175g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs, lightly beaten

zest and juice of 1 large orange

Filling

175g icing sugar

75g butter

zest of 1 orange

juice of orange

Method

- Preheat the oven to Gas 4/180C. Grease and line two 15cm/6" sandwich tins.

- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

- Add the eggs and orange juice, sift over the flour and baking powder. Mix well to combine.

- Zest the orange into the mixture and fold in to mix (I find if I add the zest while using electric beaters it clings to the beaters like a clinging thing, making it not very well distributed in the cake mixture)

- Divide between the two tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and firm to touch. Mine were done after 20 but very pale, so I left them a little longer.

- Allow to cool on a wire rack.

- For the filling, beat together the softened butter and icing sugar with the zest and juice until very light and fluffy and pale in colour. Electric beaters are an essential in my opinion for this.

- Sandwich the cake with half of the buttercream and spread the remaining buttercream on the top.

- Enjoy!

Serves 8 (but I got 10 smaller pieces out of it quite easily)

So delicious. I do love a light, moist sponge cake sandwiched together with buttery, orangey buttercream. Mmmmm! Perfect for a slice with a cup of coffee to beat the mid afternoon slump! This really was a moist and light cake, and I enjoyed the orange flavour, which came through very well. I think next time I might grate the zest for the buttercream more finely, but other than that, this was a perfect cake, and I love the way it looked so neat, like a cake you'd buy from the WI stall at a craft fair or some such (yes, I am deluded.....)

All gone, just as a good cake should be!