Orange profiteroles

I'm a sucker for anything that contains custard and pastry, and in you add caramel to the combo I'm pretty much in heaven. So, it's no secret that I love profiteroles.

That being said, I don't make them quite as much as I would like. There's a good reason for this and it's not because they're complicated, it's because when I do make them I can't resist eating them. All of them. In a very short period of time.

For this reason, I only make them for friends. Sure, I still devour the delicious morsels but instead of eating the whole batch I only get 2 or 3. Sure, I'd like to eat them all but there aren't enough hours in the day to work off all those eggs or enough toothpaste to brush away all that delicious caramel.

Essentially what I'm saying is there's nothing good in a profiterole but it's okay because they're delicious. These ones are especially delicious as they have a subtle orange flavour. Essentially they're just a variation of these ones with a slightly better pastry cream recipe.

And yes, my bottoms got a little brown - hopefully yours won't do the same!

Orange profiteroles

adapted from Gourmet Traveller, July 2007 and The Art and Soul of Baking

Makes about 16

Orange pastry cream

• 170ml (1 1/2 cups) milk
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons castor sugar
• 60ml (1/2 cup) orange juice
• 35g (1/4 cup) plain flour
• 30g (2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter

Combine the milk and orange zest in a medium saucepan and heat until the mixture just begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and let it steep for at least 30 minutes.

Strain the milk and zest mixture and return to a clean saucepan. Heat the milk just below boiling point and remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and sugar until well blended. Add the flour and orange juice and whisk until very smooth. Pour 1/2 a cup of hot milk into the yolk mixture, making sure you whisk constantly. Slowly pour the yolk mixture back into the remaining hot milk, whisking all the while

Heat the mixture, whisking constantly to prevent lumping, until it reaches the boil. Continue cooking for a about a minute or until the pastry cream is very thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Stain the mixture into a clean bowl.

Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on to the surface of the hot pastry cream. Set the bowl in a bowl of water and cool to room temperature. Once cool, use or store in the refrigerator until required

Choux pastry

• 100g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 250ml (1 cup) water
• caster sugar
• 150g (1 cup) plain flour
• 4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F), line a large tray with baking paper.

Combine butter, salt, water, and sugar in a large sauce pan and bring to the boil over high heat. Add the flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together in the centre of the pan. Remove from the heat and stand for 5 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating with the wooden spoon after each addition. The mixture will become matte when the egg is fully incorporated.

Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large 1cm (1/2 inch) nozzle. Pipe 5cm-diameter mounds about 4cm high on the paper-lined oven tray. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 180°C (350°F) for another five minutes. Remove from oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature.

Orange caramel

• 140g (5 oz) caster sugar
• 50ml (1/8 cup) lemon juice
• 75ml (1/4 cup) water

Combine the sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase heat and bring to the boil, cook for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture in a caramel colour. Remove from heat.

To assemble the profiteroles

Before cooking the caramel, fill a piping bag fitted with a 0.5cm (1/4 inch) plain nozzle with pastry cream. Insert the nozzle into a profiterole and squeeze the bag to fill. Set aside on a plate or wire rack.

Cook the caramel, careful dip the tops of the profiteroles in it and arrange the finished profiteroles on a plate. Serve fresh.

Chocolate orange crème caramel

I wish I could make a perfect crème caramel, with beautiful smooth sides and the perfect amount of caramel pooling on the top and around the edges but I can't. I can make a tasty, delicious crème caramel but like most things I make it always has a certain degree of wonky-ness about it. In some ways it's quite charming but in others it's not the desired effect.

I read somewhere that having your caramel perfectly solid when you pour the custard into the ramekin helps achieve the smooth texture. So I attempted that. I poured the caramel into the ramekins, took a shower, got a haircut, and did a little bit of shopping. A few hours later, I made the custard. Surely, I said to myself, the caramel will be set by now and I'll have beautiful, smooth crème caramels.

Well, apparently not. There must be some other trick I'm missing and if you know it (or any old wives tales about perfect crème caramels) I would appreciate some insight. Because, seriously, mine are pitted like nobody's business. They're adolescent crème caramels and they really want to become smooth skinned adults.

On the plus side though, they are delicious and taste just like jaffas.

Chocolate orange crème caramel

Adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet

Makes four 125ml custards

For the custard

• 340ml(1 1/3cups) full cream milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Zest of 1 orange, grated
• 2 large eggs
• 115g (4oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped

For the caramel lining

• 85ml (1/3 cup) water
• 135gg (2/3 cup) sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

To flavour the custard

Heat the milk, sugar, and orange zest in a medium saucepan over low heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Remove from the heat, cover, and allow to steep for 1 to 1/2 hours, until the orange flavour is strong.

To make the caramel lining

Pour the water into a small saucepan and add the sugar and cream of tartar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear.

Increase the heat to high and boil the syrup rapidly until it turns a deep golden brown. Remove from the heat and immediately divide the caramel among the cups, swirling to distribute the caramel halfway up the sides. Set the cups in a roasting pan and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

To make the custards

Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) and position an oven rack in the centre.

Uncover the saucepan of lime-infused milk and place it back over medium heat. Reheat until the mixture begins to simmer.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. pour about 1/2 a cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Once blended, whisk in another 1/2 cup. Then, slowly pour in the rest of the milk mixture. Add the chocolate and continue to whisk until it is completely melted through.

Strain the mixture into a jug and discard the zest. Divide the custard among the cups in the pan. Pull out the oven rack, place the pan on it, then pout enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides. Cover the pan in aluminium foil, ensuring it does not touch the top of the cups. Push the rack back into the oven and close the door. Make the custards for 30-40 minutes or until the centres are no longer wobbly

Remove the foil and then the pan from the oven, being careful not to splash water on to the custards. Immediately remove the cups from the water bath and place them on a rack to cool. Once cool, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate or at least 4 hours, until cold.

30 minutes before serving, remove the custards from the refrigerator and allow them to sit at room temperature. To unmold the custards, run a small knife around the edge of a cup. Place a serving plate over the top, then, holding the two together, invert the. The custard should slide out on to the plate. Repeat until all the custards are unmolded.

Chocolate & orange cheesecake

I came home the other day super stressed (thanks work, I love you but sometimes you kill me!) and with an intense hankering for cheesecake. Unwilling to go out and buy a cheesecake I decided to make one knowing full well it wouldn't be done by the end of the day. I also knew the next day would be busy and so coming home to an almost finished cheesecake would be good. Knowing I would be able to finish it the next day made me very happy because at least it meant I would have finished something over that course of the week.

I've written before about the wonders of stress baking and my attitude hasn't changed. Baking (or doing anything productive really) is a great way to unwind after a busy week.

Sure, baking is sometimes really stressful in itself but it's enjoyable and distracting stress that results in tasty treats. The other benefit of stress baking late at night is that you get to have something tasty, decadent, and downright bad for you for breakfast. Like cheesecake. Cheesecake for breakfast is like the grown up version of ice cream or doughnuts for breakfast.

This cake is crazy rich, as many cheesecakes are. The chocolate glaze however takes it to the next level so it may not be for everyone. However, if you're after something decadent this is an unmistakable winner.

The recipe is predominately from Tartelette with the super sweet chocolate topping coming from Gourmet Traveller.

Chocolate & orange cheesecake

adapted from Tartelette & Gourmet Traveller
Makes one 26cm (10") cheesecake

For the base

• 125g butter, very cold and cut into cubes
• 40g sugar
• 150g plain flour
• 10g cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line the base and sides of a 26cm (10") springform pan.

Work the butter, sugar, flour, and cocoa with a food processor or your fingers until it resembles damp sand. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and using your fingers or the back of a spoon press it firmly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 40 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack without removing it from the pan.

For the cheesecake batter

• 500g cream cheese, softened
• 70g butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons creme fraiche
• 125g sugar
• Zest of one orange
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour, sifted
• 3 eggs, seperated

Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Place a large toasting tray full of freshly boiled water on the lowest rack of the oven. Position another rack in the centre of the oven.

Combine the cream cheese, butter, creme fraiche, sugar, orange zest, and cornflour in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium-low to combine, being careful not to incorporate too much air. Add the egg yolks on at a time beating until just combined between each addition. Set the cream cheese mixture aside.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the cream cheese mixture.

Pour the batter over the prepared base. Wrap the springform pan tightly in aluminium foil. Place the springform pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. When the time is elapsed, turn the oven off and open the door a crack. Allow the cake to cool in the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight.

For the chocolate topping

• 185ml water
• 130g castor sugar
• 15g citruspectin
• 30g liquid glucose
• 75g 70% cocoachocolate, roughly chopped

Heat the water in a small saucepan to 60°C, add 25g of sugar and all the pectin, whisk continuously until the mixture comes to the boil.

Add the glucose and remaining sugar, continue to whisk until the mixture once again comes to the boil and starts to thicken. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chocolate. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the prepared cheesecake. Cool to room temperature then cover with cling wrap, being careful that it does not touch the surface, and refrigerate until set.

Orange & coconut syrup cake

It's hard being an obsessive baker when only two people live in your house. Actually, hard is probably the wrong word, the baking bit is easy whether you live in a household of two or ten. The hard it is finishing what you make, particularly on the weeks you don't have people around for whatever reason.

Luckily for me, we seem to have an endless number of people coming and going from our house so most things get eaten fairly quickly. Whipping out a slice of cake makes guests feel comfortable and welcome and it also prevents me from having any unwanted leftovers. It also means I can start on whatever recipe next strikes my fancy without feeling guilty.

I do try to reduce the quantity of most recipes but I'm either paranoid that I'll reduce too much or there's only so small a recipe will go. This recipe falls into the first category, I didn't want to reduce it too much just in case it was delicious (which it was) and I wanted to eat more than one slice of it (which I did). The original recipe made one 26cm (10 1/2") cake, mine makes one 20cm (8") cake. I probably could have reduced the quantity further (down to two eggs, from five) but I'm not sure I have a cake tin that small. Anyway, I'm glad I didn't because it there's all the more for me.

This cake is kind of surprising. Most coconut cake I've made contain desiccated coconut whereas this one contains shredded. As a result the cake has bits of coconut that you can feel as you bit into it throughout. It's weird but nice. I think it works well as the cake itself is super moist due to syrup, the shredded coconut gives it a noticeable texture.

Orange & coconut syrup cake

(adapted from Eating in by Philip Johnson)
makes one 20cm (8") cake

200g (7 oz) Greek-style yoghurt
70g (2.4 oz) cream cheese
90g (3 oz)unsweetened shredded coconut
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
120g (4 1/4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
190g (6 3/4 oz) caster sugar
3 eggs
120g (4 1/4 oz) self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Orange Syrup

120g (4 1/4 oz) caster sugar
Juice of 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Grease and line the base of a 20cm (8") spring-form cake tin.

In a food processor or a blender combine the yoghurt, coconut, cream cheese, orange zest, and juice. Process until smooth, then set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold through the yoghurt mixture, incorporating it well. Sift the flour and baking soda over the top, then fold through.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven.

While the cake is cooking, prepare the orange syrup by combining the sugar and just enough water to cover it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange juice, then remove from the heat.

Drizzle the syrup over the warm cake in a steady stream until it is absorbed, using a pastry brush to distribute the syrup evenly if necessary. Cool the cake to room temperature before removing from the tin. When ready to serve, slice and serve with ice cream.

Chocolate-orange meringues with orange cream

So, needless to say I never got around to photographing my birthday cake which is a real pity because it was rather epic. On the plus side, it does mean I need to make it again some time in the future. Assuming I can afford all the ingredients; half a kilo of good chocolate, twelve eggs, and four cups of cream are not the core ingredients for a cheap cake. Nor are they the ingredients for a cake that you should consume on a regular basis, through part of me would like to try.

This cake of mine left me with a fair few egg whites to use up - so what better way than meringue? Especially considering prior to making these I had never made meringue before. Sure, I've made meringue based icings and what not but never meringue that is nothing more than meringue.

That said, I'd like to think that these are more than meringue because they are! They're meringue filled with cream. Admittedly that's really not a huge step up from plain old meringue but it's a step nonetheless. A small step for a small person, I guess.

Speaking of small steps - in about two-and-a-half weeks I have finished my degree. That's four years of degree over in a matter of weeks. Can anyone recommend any good celebration desserts? If they're somehow related to the number four, even better. Maybe your favourite four ingredient dessert, or maybe a cake that somehow uses four cups of cream? Help is appreciated!

Chocolate-orange meringues with orange cream

makes about 20

Chocolate-orange meringues

(adapted from Macaroons & Biscuits by the Women's Weekly)

3 egg whites
155g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
1 tablespoon sifted cocoa powder
2 teaspoons orange rind, finely grated
2 teaspoons orange liqueur

Preheat oven to 120°C (250°F), grease oven trays and line with baking paper.

Beat the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until dissolved between each addition. Fold the cocoa powder, orange rind, and liqueur through the egg whites.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag, then pipe equal sized rounds onto the lined trays. Bake for 1 hour, then cool on trays.

Orange cream

(adapted from Gourmet Traveller, July 2007)

65ml milk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
3 pieces orange rind
1 egg yolk
60g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
15g (4 teaspoons) cornflour
100ml (3.4 fl. ounces) double cream

Combine the milk, orange juice, Grand Marnier, and orange rind in a small saucepan and bring to just below the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside for 15 minutes to infuse.

Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk for 1-2 minutes, add the cornflour and whisk to combine.

Reheat the milk to just below the boil, then strain over the egg mixture, whisk to combine then return to the pan and whisk over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until thick and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and cool. When completely cold, whisk in the cream. Continue whisking until thick and smooth. Refrigerate until required.

Assembly

Using a teaspoon, scoop out the centre of the meringues and set aside. Fill a piping bag with orange cream, and pipe enough cream to fill the hole in the meringue. Sandwich two filled sides of meringue together and refrigerate until required.

Gâteau à l'orange

J and I were given a giant bag of oranges, and by giant I mean giant. 10 kilos kind of giant. 10 kilos between 2 people is an a lot of oranges. It's just lucky that I like oranges a lot, and we're now down to the last 20 or so oranges. That's still a lot of oranges but I've got plans.

We've made a lot of juice, which is good because I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately and oranges make you strong... or something like that. Either way, there's only so much orange juice one can drink.

So, when life gives you oranges, make orange juice and then orange cake.

Orange cake is, in my view, one of the most underrated cakes. It's so underrated that none of my cook books had a single recipe that called for orange juice rather than just orange rind. Luckily the internet delivered better results leading me to this recipe from Passionate about Baking. I'm glad I found this recipe as I feel it will quickly become one of my favourites.

If I were to make this again I would make it in a larger pan. The recipe recommends a 16cm (6 inch) pan and even though I made mine in a slightly larger 18cm (7 inch) pan it was still to small and the cake peaked far to much. Next time I'll use a larger 20cm (8 inch) tin instead.

So, if life gives you oranges, make this cake.

Gâteau à l'orange

(recipe from Passionate About Baking)

250ml (1 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice
zest of 1 orange
100g (3.5 oz) butter, softened
100g (3.5 oz) sugar
150g (5.3 oz) flour
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons Cointreau
a pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F), grease and line the base of an 20cm (8 inch) cake tin.

beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer until lightened in colour and texture, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, taking care to thoroughly combine each yolk before adding the next one. Beat until smooth.

Add the Cointreau and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Reduce the speed mixer to low and add the flour gradually. Mix well. Pour in half the orange juice and all the orange rind. Mix until just combined.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt to firm peaks. Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until the cake is deep orange and firm to the touch.

Remove cake from the oven and slowly pour the remaining orange juice on to the cake whilst it is still warm. Cool in tin for 20 minutes and then unmold and place on a wire rack. Serve with icing sugar.

Orange zest & cinnamon doughnuts

I used to live in fear of yeast but now I'm finally overcoming my terror. Until recently I'd never, ever had a success when making yeasted dough. Everything I made would end up rock solid and awful. Absolutely awful. So I gave up and decided that yeast and I would never be friends.

Well, things change. I'm gradually building my confidence. I started simple with pizza dough and then... more pizza dough (hey, different recipe - totally counts as something new) and now, doughnuts. Delicious, delicious doughnuts.

Home-made doughnuts really are one of life's pleasures. There is absolutely nothing good about them, they're unashamedly bad for you. They're also amazing and fluffy. Nothing like those hard, slightly stale doughnuts from the shops.

These doughnuts contain orange zest which adds a degree of complexity (ugh!) to the taste. I hadn't expected them to taste as orangey as they do so I was surprised when the flavour came through so strongly. It's good though, orange flavoured doughnuts aren't something you can buy at the shops.

These doughnuts are supposed to be filled with chocolate ricotta but they're not. I have all the ingredients in the kitchen but after biting into one I couldn't bring myself to fill them. They're rich enough as it is. I think if I ever make them again, I'll make them smaller and then fill them. As it stands they're so large (read: normal doughnut sized) that I can't imagine making them any richer.

Orange zest & cinnamon doughnuts

(adapted from Gourmet Traveller, March 2005)
makes 16

150ml lukewarm (38-45°C) milk
75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
410g (2 3/4 cups) plain flour
80g (2.8 oz) butter
Canola oil, for frying
165g (3/4 cup) caster sugar, extra
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place milk, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl and stir until dissolved, then stir in the eggs and orange rind. Sift flour and pinch of salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, then, on low speed, slowly pour in egg mixture and knead for 8 minutes. Increase the speed to medium, and add the butter, in 3 batches, and beat until the dough is smooth and shiny.

Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and stand in a draught-free place for 1 hour until the mixture doubles in size.

Knock down the dough, then divide into 16 pieces and roll into smooth balls. Place the balls 5 cm apart on lightly greased trays, press slightly to flatten, the cover and stand in a draught-free place for 1 hour or until risen.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or a large saucepan to 160°C (320°F) and fry doughnuts, in batches, for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking, then drain on absorbent paper. Combine extra caster sugar and cinnamon and roll doughnuts in the sugar to coat evenly.

Doughnuts are best made on the day of serving.

Chocolate mousse with orange syrup

Right, this is ridiculous. I've made yet another chocolate dessert, why, why, why. Why do all my desserts always turn out chocolate filled?

This dessert was brought on by a conversation about mousse with my boyfriend. He loves mousse, in fact his favourite childhood memory involves mousse from Pizza Hut. years later,Pizza Hut all you can eat bars have since vanished and so have their mousse. Anyway, it turned out he'd never had homemade mousse yet alone made it. So we set about making it, he insisted it be chocolate mousse like the stuff that came "out of the mousse machine".

Mousse is incredibly easy to make. There are only a few ingredients and even less steps. There's not a whole lot that can go wrong and I'm sure, even if it doesn't quite work out, it'd still taste delicious.

Chocolate mousse with orange syrup

(adapted from Delicious Magazine, March 2010)
Serves 4-6

Chocolate mousse

150g dark chocolate, 60%-70%
1 egg
30ml cognac
250ml (1 cup) single cream

Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Once melted, stir gently until smooth.

Place the eggs in a separate heat proof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Using a balloon whisk, whick until light for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gently whisk the chocolate mixture into the eggs and stir in the cognac. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using electric beaters, whip the cream to soft peaks. Gently fold into chocolate mixture. Pour Mousse into four 185 ml custard cups, cover, and chill for at least 1 hour.

Orange syrup

110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon corn flour
Juice of half an orange
1 1/2 oranges, segmented

Place the caster sugar and water in a small suacepan over a low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat ro medium and cook, without stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Dissolve the cornflour in the juice, stirring to form a smooth paste. Return sugar syrup to low heat and stir in the cornflour mixture, then stir in the orange segments To serve, pout over mousse.

Orange & poppy seed cake

I've never made an orange and poppy seed cake before, though I've certainly eaten them. I ate one last week and it inspired me to make my own. This is an incredibly simple cake, so there's not a lot to go wrong. Making the batter takes around 10 minutes and then it's just a matter of popping the cake in the oven and wandering off to an hour. The cake then rises beautifully and does it's thing. Easy.

This cake definitely needs to be made in a deep sided tin because it rises so much, I can only imagine the awful mess you'd end up with if you used anything shorter than 10cm (4") in height. There's nothing worse than making delicious cake and then having to leave it sitting on the bench, teasing you, while you scrub out the oven. Yuck.

This cake is very simple, both in technique and flavour. That's not a bad thing but it does require the syrup to bring it do life. Without it it's just too plain. If I make this again, I'm going to try putting some honey into the syrup, mmm.

Orange & poppy seed cake with orange scyrup

Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

(adapted from Simple Essentials: Fruit)
serves 10

250g (8 oz) butter, softened
220g (1 cup) granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
300g (2 cups) self raising flour, sifted
125ml (1/2 cup) milk

Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F), grease and line the bottom of a square 22cm (8 1/2") cake tin.

Combine the poppy seeds, orange rind, and flour in a bowl and set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

Reduce speed to low, or mixing by hand, add 1/3 of the flour mixture. Once combined, add half the milk. Add the remaining flour and, once combined, the pour in the remaining milk. Milk lightly to combine.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top Bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack or remove from tin and eat warm.

Orange Syrup

220g (1 cup) granulated sugar
250ml (1 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of two oranges

Place the sugar, orange juice, and zest in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and boil for 7-8 minutes or until syrupy. To serve pour the syrup over the cake.