Happy Easter to those celebrating! I think this orange sponge cake would make a lovely addition to your festive table this weekend or, alternatively, just a lovely treat for tea!
I am not a pastry chef and am, generally, more about all that is savory. But this cake is so simple and also simply customizable – i.e. you can use lemon instead of orange or flavor the whipped cream with berries – that anyone can handle it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
And I do love decorating with spring or other seasonal flowers. It’s such a beautiful way to dress up a cake and extra appropriate for springtime.
For more fun ideas on using edible flowers (like infusing honey!) click here.
{p.s} For more Easter eats, check out these posts: Hot Cross Buns & Happy Paskha!
- 6 eggs (at room temperature)
- 1.5 cups AP or cake flour + a little more for pan
- .75 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
- zest of one orange
- juice of half an orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter
- pinch of salt
- whipped cream (optional)
- Preheat oven to 340F. Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan.
- Combine eggs, sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract, salt, and vanilla sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). Beat at medium-high speed for at least 15 minutes until the mixture is very pale and frothy and has some body to it.
- Gently sift and fold in the flour a little bit at a time, making sure it is combined well. Try not to deflate the batter.
- Pour the batter into the springform pan. Bake for 35- 40 minutes. Check the middle of the cake, turn off the oven, but leave the cake in the oven to cool gradually, with the oven door propped open.
- Once the cake is cool. Invert it and take it out of the springform. Cut it into two layers. Pour orange juice over the cake layers.
- If you are using whipped cream, use a spatula to spread some cream between the layers before reassembling the cake, then top with more whipped cream and orange zest (and flowers!).
Good crumb on this cake:
Gorgeous cake and gorgeous styling…and every bit as delicious as it looks, I’ll bet!
Thank you, Betsy:) It was a hit!
I think everyone needs to have a dessert recipe like this in their back pocket (baker or cook). It’s so lovely and I bet it tastes fantastic.
Thank you! And I agree – it’s great to have a classic recipe that you can whip up (no pun intended) on a whim!