My Mother’s Orange Cake

Family recipes that make your heart sing of joy. This is the best way to describe my mother’s orange cake.

There was always cake in my house and from an early age I started training my taste buds for the tasting that would follow.

I was also an expert at licking the bits left in the mixer bowl (don’t blame me).

Now get your tools ready!

Ingredients

• 1 large orange
• 4 free range eggs (L)
• 1/2 mug olive oil
• 2 mugs caster sugar
• 1/2 mug semi-skimmed milk
• 2 + 1/2 mugs self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Wash a large size orange thoroughly and chopped it into small pieces (do not remove the orange peel).
3. Add the chopped orange, including the orange peel, to a blender and blend well. Add the eggs, olive oil and caster sugar and mix.
4. Add the milk and blend until combined.
5. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add in the sifted flour and baking powder. Mix well with a wooden spoon until combined.
6. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured cake tin.
7. Bake for approximately 40 min or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

*Receita em Português*

Ingredientes

• 1 laranja grande
• 4 ovos (L)
• 1/2 caneca azeite
• 2 canecas açúcar branco
• 1/2 caneca leite meio-gordo
• 2 + 1/2 canecas de farinha com fermento
• 1 colher de chá de fermento

Preparação

1. Pré-aqueça o forno a 180 °C.
2. Lave a laranja e corte em pequenos pedaços (não retire a casca).
3. Adicione a laranja cortada ao liquidificador, incluindo a casca da laranja, e triture bem. Adicione os ovos, azeite e açúcar e triture bem.
4. Adicione o leite e triture novamente.
5. Deite a mistura numa taça, adicione a farinha peneirada e fermento à mistura anterior e mexa com uma colher de pau até estar bem envolvido.
6. Passe por manteiga e farinha uma forma de bolo à sua escolha e deite a massa na forma.
7. Leve ao forno pré-aquecido a 180 °C durante 40 min ou até um esparguete inserido no bolo sair limpo. Retire o bolo do forno e deixe arrefecer ligeiramente antes de tentar desenformar. Assim que tiver arrefecido um pouco, vire o bolo para cima de uma rede de pasteleiro e deixe arrefecer completamente.