Orange and Sultana Cake

  





I wanted to do a special bake for Easter this year.  Something sweet to celebrate this special holiday.  

I wanted it to be fresh and different and spring-like . . .  and yet at the same time something which I could use to convey the joy that is felt during this holiest of holy holidays of the year.    

  





I settled on my Orange and Sultana Cake.  I had not made this in years.  It was something which I made frequently when my children were growing up, but something which I had not made in recent years.  

And I don't really know why . . . it's a fabulous cake really.   Handwritten on a yellowed piece of paper, spattered with use . . .  a tell-tale sign of it's fabulousity!  (Yes, I know that's really not a word!!)

  

  






Fabulous because, not only is it buttery and moist . . . but it's also fruity  and spicy  . . .  with nice orange flavours, from two sources . . . the juice from the orange, of course, which is mixed with sour milk to make for a lovely moist cake . . .  

And then there is  the peel and flesh of the orange, that you chop together with sultana raisins and then fold into the batter . . . so good . . .  and the spice coming from the addition of mixed spice.

  

  






Almost like the flavours of our favourite Easter treat . . . the Hot Cross Bun.  

The joy goes on in the frosting, which is a delicious and simple butter-cream, into which you fold some of the sultana/orange mixture which not only gives it a bit of texture, but delicious fruity flavours as well.  

  





It makes a fabulous cake any time of the year, but dressed up for Easter???  Well . . .  you just can't get much better than this.  

I created little Easter Egg Nests, by shaking flaked coconut with a teensie bit of green food colouring in a jam jar, which I then placed as nests over the top of the cake, filled with little candy covered chocolate eggs and guarded by Lindt mini bunnies of course!  

  





The end result being a moist and whimsical cake, full of the joys of Spring and Easter.  Perfect for an Easter weekend Brunch or Coffee Time, or as a dessert option after that delicious Easter dinner we will all be enjoying on Sunday.  

In any case I do hope that you will give it a go.  Here, it only has my husband and I to admire it's fabulous qualities, but in your house . . . I am sure there will be oodles of kiddies and grown-ups to go gaga over it!    This truly is a special treat.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AN ORANGE AND SULTANA CAKE

Just a few very simple baking ingredients.  Nothing here is complicated.

For the cake:

1 orange, washed well to remove any wax

115ml sour milk (1/2 cup)

150g of sultana raisins (1 cup)

115g of butter, softened (1/2 cup)

190g of caster sugar (1 cup)

2 large free range eggs

280g of plain flour (2 cups)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp mixed spice (see notes)

1/2 tsp salt

For the icing:

140g butter, softened (10 TBS)

280g icing sugar, sifted (2 1/4 cups)

1-2 TBS milk  

If you are looking for some tasty things to bake for the Easter holidays, you might also enjoy the following:

SIMNEL MUFFINS - Light and fruity with a surprising nugget of marzipan baked in the centre of each. I add an orange sugar glaze and a couple of chocolate mini eggs for a cute Easter decoration. Moist and delicious.

EASTER BASKET SUGAR COOKIES -  Big soft sugar cookies, flavored with vanilla.  These are a drop cookie. Easy to make and bake.  When done I have topped them with a simple vanilla frosting, some coconut died green to look like grass and a few chocolate mini eggs.  Children love these. Grownups do as well! They are very Easter-like!

 

HOW TO MAKE ORANGE AND SULTANA CAKE

Again, a very simple cake to make. You will need a food processor to make the fruit mixture.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a nine inch square baking pan and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang to lift out.

  

Measure out the milk.  (If you don't have sour milk, add 1 tsp of lemon juice to your measure and fill with milk to the amount you need.  Let stand 5 minutes.)  Squeeze the juice from the orange and add to the milk. Set aside. Put the rest of the orange (all of it, peel and everything)  into a food processor along with the raisins and pulse several times, until you have a mixture which resembles gravel.  

Reserve 2 TBS of the mixture for the icing. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.   Sift the flour together with the baking powder, soda, mixed spice and salt.   Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour, beating until smooth.   

Fold in the sultana/orange mixture.   Turn into the buttered and lined pan.   

Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  When done allow to sit in the pan for ten minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the icing, beat the butter with an electric whisk until nice and creamy.   Add the icing sugar, half at a time, and 1 TBS of milk,  Beat until creamy only adding the remaining milk if needed.  Beat in the reserved orange/raisin mixture.   Spread this frosting on top of the completely cooled cake. 

   

 Make Your Own Mixed Spice:You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Yield: 0ne (9-inch) cake

Author: Marie Rayner

Orange and Sultana Cake

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 50 Min

A deliciously moist and buttery cake with a fabulous fruity butter-cream icing.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 orange, washed well to remove any wax
• 115ml sour milk (1/2 cup)
• 150g of sultana raisins (1 cup)
• 115g of butter, softened (1/2 cup)
• 190g of caster sugar (1 cup)
• 2 large free range eggs
• 280g of plain flour (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp mixed spice (see recipe notes)
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the frosting:

• 140g butter, softened (10 TBS)
• 280g icing sugar, sifted (2 1/4 cups)
• 1-2 TBS milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a nine inch square baking pan and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang to lift out.
2. Measure out the milk. (If you don't have sour milk, add 1 tsp of lemon juice to your measure and fill with milk to the amount you need. Let stand 5 minutes.) Squeeze the juice from the orange and add to the milk. Set aside.
3. Put the rest of the orange (all of it, peel and everything) into a food processor along with the raisins and pulse several times, until you have a mixture which resembles gravel. Reserve 2 TBS of the mixture for the icing. Set aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Sift the flour together with the baking powder, soda, mixed spice and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour, beating until smooth. Fold in the sultana/orange mixture.
6. Turn into the buttered and lined pan. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. When done allow to sit in the pan for ten minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to finish cooling.
7. To make the icing, beat the butter with an electric whisk until nice and creamy. Add the icing sugar, half at a time, and 1 TBS of milk, Beat until creamy only adding the remaining milk if needed. Beat in the reserved orange/raisin mixture. Spread this frosting on top of the completely cooled cake.

Notes

Make Your Own Mixed Spice: You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

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