Orange Drizzle Cake

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For a twist on the classic Lemon Drizzle Cake, this Orange Drizzle Cake has all the flavour and crowd-pleasing elements of the original.

What's in an Orange Drizzle Cake?

The basics of this cake are those of a typical sponge cake: flour, butter, sugar and eggs. What elevates this is the fresh orange juice and orange zest. This is incorporated into every part of the cake: into the batter, into the orange sugar syrup drizzled over the warm cake, and into the orange icing for a delicious, eye-catching finish.

Tips for success:

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will take a few minutes. When you add the eggs, keep on whisking. If the batter looks curdled, don't worry; either continue to whisk for a few more minutes or add a tablespoon of the flour and whisk.

Once you have poured the orange drizzle over the cake, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate until completely cool. As the cake cools, the moisture is trapped inside, producing a lovely moist crumb.

Cool the cake completely before brushing on the icing. If the icing starts to dry out before you have finished brushing it onto the cake, warm it for 5 seconds in the microwave. You can add more liquid, but adding too much will stop the finished cake having that crisp icing on top.

For more loaf cake ideas, check out my Earl Grey Loaf Cake and for something even more special try my Black Forest Gateau or Strawberry Shortcake Cake.

Orange Drizzle Cake

Ingredients:

175g softened butter

175g light brown sugar

3 beaten eggs

2 large oranges (for the cake, the zest of 1 and 1/2 and 3tbsp juice)

175g all-purpose flour

1tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

Drizzle

40g granulated sugar

2tbsp orange juice

Icing

50g icing sugar

1tbsp orange juice

The rest of the orange zest

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin with baking parchment or a cake liner.

• Using an electric whisk or by hand, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy.

• Add the beaten eggs and continue to whisk.

• Mix in the orange zest and juice.

• Fold in the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt

• Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.

• Put the granulated sugar and orange juice into a saucepan and, on a low heat, stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat as soon as all the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil.

• When the cake has finished baking, use a skewer to poke holes over the whole cake and pour the drizzle over.

• Take the cake out of the tin, wrap it in cling film and place it into the fridge to cool completely.

• In a bowl, mix the icing sugar, orange juice and remaining zest until smooth,

• Remove the cake liner or baking parchment and, using a pastry brush, brush the icing over the top of the cake.

• Cut into slices to enjoy.