Mediterranean Orange Cake – Thermomix Recipe

This is based on a recipe that was for a cake made famous by Margie Agostini in Sydney Australia, was first published by Jill Dupleix in the Times and then appeared in Rick Steins’s Mediterranean Escapes. I have slightly changed it and adapted it for the Thermomix. The recipe produces a beautifully rich and buttery but somehow also light orange cake. Do try this one as it is easy to make but great tasting! I served it as a birthday cake with a candle on top for Jane’s birthday – she loved it and she is a great cook herself. It makes eight good sized portions.

Finished article before icing

Shopping List
250g self raising flour
375g unrefined sugar
3 juicy oranges
250 g lightly salted butter
4 medium sized eggs

Equipment
Thermomix
21 cm (approx) spring-form cake tin + greaseproof paper or silicon for lining it.
Vegetable peeler
Spatula

Instructions
Step 1 – Take the butter out of the fridge to bring up towards room temperature. Cut into small cubes.
Step 2 – Grease and line your baking tin.
Step 3 – Pre-heat your oven to 170° C.
Step 4 – Weigh out 250g of self raising flour in the Thermomix and set aside.
Step 5 – Weigh out 125g of unrefined sugar and make into icing sugar by grinding it for 30 seconds at speed 10. Set aside.
Step 6 – Use a vegetable peeler to peel all the zest off of an orange and put this into the Thermomix. Weigh out 250g of the unrefined sugar in the Thermomix and then make orange flavoured caster sugar by grinding at speed 10 for 20 seconds in the Thermomix.
Step 7 – Remove about half the caster sugar from the Thermomix and then put half the butter into the Thermomix. Insert the butterfly whisk and then whisk at speed 4 for one minute. Use a spatula to scrape the mixture back down to the bottom and then repeat again the whisking for one minute. Scrape down again and then repeat the whisking for one further minute. Remove the mixture from the Thermomix and then set aside.

After a few minutes not much remained!

Step 8 – Put the reserved caster sugar and rest of the butter into the Thermomix and do as per Step 7, whisking for 3 minutes and stopping twice to scrape down the bowl. At the end of this step combine the two mixtures of caster sugar and butter in the bowl.
Step 9 – To ensure that we end up with a really airy light mixture, repeat step 7 again but this time with all the mixture, whisking it all again for three minutes and stopping each minute to scrape down the bowl. Leave the mixture in the Thermomix.
Step 10 – Turn back up to speed 4 and break an egg through the hole in the top of the Thermomix into the mixture. Repeat for another egg and then add a tablespoon of the self raising flour that you reserved earlier. Break the other two eggs into the mixture whilst continuing to whisk in the Thermomix.
Step 11 – Turn to speed 3 and then, whilst whisking, add the rest of the flour into the Thermomix (best done by pouring through the jam funnel). Keep whisking for a very short time until just incorporated.
Step 12 – Squeeze your oranges into a measuring jug until you have about 85 ml of orange juice.
Step 13 – Bring the Thermomix up to speed 2 and whisk briefly whilst pouring in the orange juice. Stop the Thermomix and remove the lid.
Step 14 – Use a spatula to scrape out all of this gorgeous mixture into your lined cake tin.
Step 15 – Cook for 45 minutes and then check to see if a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cook a little more if necessary (mine needed about 53 minutes).
Step 16 – Allow to cool on a wire rack before attempting to remove from the tin.
Step 17 – Remove and place on a board.
Step 18 – Squeeze some more orange juice (about half a juicy orange) and have it ready.

California Orange Muscat pairng

Step 19 – Put the reserved icing sugar into a small mixing bowl and then add the orange juice gradually whilst stirring until you get a nice firm but still slightly runny mixture (I prefer mine more like a drizzle icing than the firmer spreadable icing in the original recipe). You may not need all of the juice to get the right consistency.
Step 20 – Spread the mixture onto the top of the cake, making sure the top is completely covered and that there is enough for some to drizzle down the sides.
Step 21 – Leave until the icing is set, remove from the board to a plate and then serve and be congratulated for your baking prowess!

This cake goes very well with a small glass of Essencia California Orange Muscat wine which is available from Majestic.

Thanks to Rick Stein for bringing this great recipe to my attention – I love Rick’s recipe books and TV programmes. Hope I get his Spanish book for Christmas – hint, hint!