Easy Orange Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

“In Britain, a cup of tea is the answer to every problem.
Fallen off your bicycle? Nice cup of tea.
Your house has been destroyed by a meteorite? Nice cup of tea and a biscuit.
Your entire family has been eaten by a Tyrannosaurus Rex that has travelled through a space/time portal? Nice cup of tea and a piece of cake. ”
~ David Walliams

This is a lovely cake – moist and orangey, and easy to make. It would be the perfect cake for a Mothers Day tea. I often make this when friends come over. Friends, tea and orange cake is the recipe for happiness!

Ingredients:

Cake: 250 grams butter (one cup or two sticks) at room temperature, 2 cups sugar, 4 large eggs, pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons of fresh orange zest, 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1/2 cup of milk, 2 cups self-raising flour (self rising), 1 cup plain flour (all purpose)

Cream Cheese Frosting: 250 grams (1 cup) cream cheese, 2 cups of icing sugar (confectioners or powdered sugar), 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice

Variations: Add a teaspoon of orange blossom water or rose water to the cake batter for a flavoursome twist. If you love earl grey tea then another favourite variation is five drops of bergamot oil in the cake batter and two drops in the frosting mix.

Cake tin – one large bundt or ring pan, well greased and lightly floured or two loaf tins (23cm x 12cm – 9 inch x 5 inch) lined with baking paper.

Method:

Preheat your oven to moderate (160 degree celcius fan-forced or 180 degree oven – 350 degrees fahrenheit).

Chop the butter into cubes, and add to a large mixing bowl with the sugar, orange zest and salt. Beat with electric beaters until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is creamy and pale. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the flours into another bowl and stir gently so that they are well combined.

Gently add half the flour and fold through the butter mixture. Then add the orange juice, stirring gently to combine. Add the second half of the flour and fold through, then add the milk in the same way as the orange juice.

Spoon the cake batter into your prepared tin.

Bake the bundt or ring cake for 45 minutes and then test. A thin skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean. If batter still clings to the skewer cook a little longer and then repeat test. Bake loaf cakes for thirty five minutes and then test.

Cool in tin for ten minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

If baking the night before, wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap or place in an airtight tin so that it does not dry out.

To ice the cake combine cream cheese, sifted icing sugar and 1/4 cup of orange juice. Mix on low speed until combined. If mixture is still too dry add a little more orange juice. Beat on medium speed for one to two minutes until thick and creamy. Spread over top of cake.

Cake can also be garnished with toasted coconut or almonds, little flowers etc.

Best eaten on the day it is made but will keep, refrigerated and well covered, for three days.