Orange cake

The ultimate orange cake, flavoured with freshly squeezed orange juice and fragrant orange zest. Finished with a vibrant orange icing and a sprinkling of desiccated coconut, it is wonderfully fluffy, moist and intensely aromatic. Simply delicious!

Ingredients for the orange cake:

• 200 g butter
• 170 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 180 g plain flour
• 30 g potato starch (or cornflour)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Sift together the flour, potato starch and baking powder, then set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the orange zest. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the orange juice. Fold gently with a spatula or whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.

Line a 21–22 cm round cake tin with baking parchment. Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and level the surface.

Bake at 170°C for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before icing.

Ingredients for the orange icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2–3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• finely grated zest of ½ orange

Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly using the back of a spoon until smooth. If the icing is too thin, add more icing sugar. If it is too thick, add a little more orange juice. Spread the icing over the cooled cake.

To finish:

• desiccated coconut, for sprinkling

Scatter the desiccated coconut over the icing before it sets.

Enjoy!

Recipe source — Det søte liv, with my own adaptations.