Italian orange cake

Method

1. 1

   Prepare and weigh the ingredients

   Gather all the ingredients you need: plain flour (Italian type 00), sugar, eggs, butter, baking powder, fresh orange juice and untreated orange zest. Take the butter out at least 30 minutes beforehand so it is at room temperature and easier to work.

2. 2

   Cream the butter, sugar and eggs

   In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to keep the batter smooth.

3. 3

   Add the orange juice and zest

   Stir in the strained orange juice and finely grated zest. Mix gently until fragrant and well combined, without knocking out the air.

4. 4

   Fold in the flour and baking powder

   In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture a little at a time, folding with a spatula or hand whisk until the batter is smooth and lump-free.

5. 5

   Pour in the batter and bake

   Butter and flour a cake tin about 22 cm in diameter, then pour in the batter and level it. Bake in a preheated conventional oven (no fan) at 180°C for about 40 minutes, checking with a skewer.

6. 6

   Cool and decorate

   Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then turn it out and let it cool completely. Before serving, dust lightly with icing sugar and, if you like, decorate with orange slices or zest.