Saturday 21 May 2011

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!

17 comments:

Unknown said...

I think all my same size tins fit inside each other. It's because they're slightly slanted. I love that you went to so much effort. The outcome looks superb! Love orange in anything!! Thanks so much for taking part. X

Kate@whatkatebaked said...

I too have the two cake tins, one bigger than the other. I usually use them, and then cut around the the larger of the two-it rarely works but I always hope it will as then I get an extra taste of cake! The Orange cake sounds absolutely tasty!

Suelle said...

What a lovely looking cake - very delicate, both in flavour and looks! I hardly ever make layer cakes because the filling adds so many unnecessary calories, but some occasions just cry out for a light sponge.

MissCakeBaker said...

This cake looks delicious!

Maria♥ said...

How yummy does this cake look, mmmm!

Maria
x

The Caked Crusader said...

I can see the light crumb texture from your photos - it looks a winner!

Alice said...

This does look like it has a delicious texture, and eceryone loves an orange buttercream!

hungryandfrozen said...

Gorgeous cake, looks lovely and old-fashioned and delicious. I am jealous of the ability to go to IKEA, even if it does involve thigh-fulcruming.

Unknown said...

Didn't some survey say that 75% of houses in the UK had a billy bookcase? So you're in good company! ;-)

I still run out of space for tall books though...

Lovely sponge cake too!

Kim said...

Mmmm, this is just my cup of tea! I've never tried anything orangey - I really should.

Choclette said...

C this looks like a very neat cake indeed. I'd certainly buy it - if I was into buying cakes ;-) It sounds delicious too. I only got a 2nd cake mould to match one of mine a year or so ago. It's certainly made making sandwich cakes a lot easier. I just used to have a smaller one on top of a bigger one and hope it just hope people didn't really notice. I guess you could have made one cake and cut it in half which is quite common practice.

Unknown said...

This cake looks fantastic, I must have a look at that book, brilliant random recipe. X

Emily said...

Yes2! you must post a picture of the filled bookcase!

Just wondering if there is a difference between a Victorian sponge cake and a sandwich cake?

Alicia Foodycat said...

That is a beautiful cake! I have 2 8" springform tins that are about 1/2" diameter different. So irritating! And you aren't deluded, I would happily buy this from a WI stall.

Caroline said...

Dom - thanks! It did feel like a palaver baking twice, but those tins really are a different size - they're both straight sided and fit inside one-another. Very frustrating!

Kate - good plan to eat more cake!

Suelle - I know what you mean about the extra calories in the filling, but you're right, sometimes it's just necessary, and here is definitely one of those times!

Miss Cakebaker, Maria - thank you!

CC - I wish it had something to win!

Laura - I guess I'm lucky to have IKEA so close, it's very useful sometimes.

Sarah - thankyou! I can well believe that so many people have a Billy bookcase - so versatile and not too expensive!

Kim - orange is lovely in cakes!

Choclette - thank you. I did consider cutting it in half and then stacking, but it's a small cake to start with and it wasn't worth making such a tiny amount of buttercream.

How to be perfect - thanks. It's an interesting book.

Emily - I'm not sure about the difference. I might post a pic eventually!

Foodycat - good to know I'm not deluded, and yes, it's extremely irritating to have two not-quite-the-same size tins isn't it!

Emily said...

Just to inform that I baked the cake last night....

http://emilycookingforays.blogspot.com/

Susan Lindquist said...

Our little village is having a charity cake auction this weekend ... your cake will be my donation! Perfect for a summertime tea or picnic!

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