Blood orange cake is a really simple cake to bake using the creaming method. The addition of orange zest and juice to the cake is simply delicious.
I have made blood orange cake or simple orange cake many times over the years. It’s a cake that I make regularly, almost monthly, it’s my favourite cake to bake (and eat). Sometimes I use blood oranges but at other times just ordinary oranges. For such a simple bake it’s delicious, then again I am partial to anything citrus! I will put any cake flavoured with either orange or lemon above all others, cake perfection!
This is not a difficult cake to bake, in fact it’s really easy. Using the creaming method, it’s simply a case of beating butter and sugar together then adding the remaining ingredients. However when creaming the butter and sugar together ensure you do it until the mixture forms a creamy texture and turns pale in colour. This method makes the lightest of sponge cakes.
A bundt tin makes this cake look extra special. However, you can just as easily use a 20cm high-sided cake tin, preferably one with a loose bottom. When baking a sponge cake I use the conventional setting on my oven. The fan setting can bake the cake a little too quickly, the conventional setting allows a slower more even bake. As a rule I use the conventional oven setting for lighter sponge cakes and the fan for a heavier cake.
One of the reasons I enjoy this cake is that it isn’t over flowing with icing, just a thin layer made from icing sugar and fresh juice. The icing is added either as a drizzle or a thin layer on top of the cake. Although the mixture makes a large cake, with the addition of the orange juice to the cake I find it remains moist. This means you can enjoy the cake for a couple of days after baking, just make sure you store it in an airtight container.
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Alternative recipe suggestions:
For another recipe using this simple method of creaming together the butter and sugar try our traditional Victoria Sponge. If you enjoyed this bake have a look at our Ultimate Guide to Baking with Kids, full of great recipe suggestions for baking with children.
blood orange cake
Ingredients
- 250 g caster sugar
- 250 g salted butter - softened at room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- zest of 2 blood oranges
- 250 g self raising flour
- 80 ml fresh blood orange juice
icing
- 125 g icing sugar
- 5 tsp fresh blood orange juice
Instructions
- Grease and flour your bundt tin. Or if using a 20cm round, high sided tin, grease and flour the sides and line the bottom of the tin with greaseproof paper.
- Cream together the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes until the mixture has become creamy and really pale in colour.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoon of the flour before the last egg is added to stop the mixture curdling.
- Beat in the orange zest, ensuring it is well combined. Add in the remaining flour and give the cake batter a good mix.
- Slowly pour in the orange juice and mix gently.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in an oven at 170C for 45-50 minutes. The cake is cooked when you can insert a skewer into the middle of it and it comes out clean.
- Place the tin on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely in the tin. Once cool carefully remove the tin and any greaseproof paper and place on a serving plate.
- To make the icing mix together the icing sugar and orange juice in a bowl. Pour or drizzle over the cake and allow the icing time to set. Once set the cake can be cut into slices and served.
- Store the cake in an airtight container or cake tin.
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