The orange delight is a cake that contains no dairy or milk derivatives. It is aromatic and easy to prepare, very soft despite the absence of butter and milk. Its softness and the citrus fragrance remain intact over time. It is a delicious cake, suitable for breakfast, snacks, or as a dessert for important occasions. We can replace the oranges with mandarins or kumquats; or we can enrich and decorate this delightful cake with chocolate, dried fruits, and whatever our imagination suggests. The addition of corn starch contributes to the softness of our delightful cake. Let’s store it in a cake container or airtight container.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1/2 cup Fresh orange juice
- 1/3 cup Light vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup Granulated sugar
- 3 medium whole eggs
- 2 oranges
- 1 Lemon
- 1 packet Baking powder
- 1 pinch Fine salt
- 1/2 cup Powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Orange juice
Steps
Prepare all the ingredients to use in front of us.
Sift together flour, corn starch, and baking powder.
Wash and brush the citrus fruits.
Grate the peel of the two oranges very finely.
Squeeze the juice from the oranges and set it aside for the moment.
Grate the peel of the lemon very finely as well.
Preheat the oven to 340°F.
We can work the cake batter either by hand, with a steel whisk, or with electric beaters at low speed.
Mix the eggs, oil, and sugar together for a minute until blended.
Add the grated peel of the oranges and lemon and mix again.
Add the flour, corn starch, and baking powder, a pinch of salt, and the fresh orange juice.
Mix until you obtain a lump-free, creamy mixture. Do not overwork the batter as it may heat up and ruin the softness of the cake.
Oil and flour a fluted 9-10 inch pan (if the mold allows, use only parchment paper without adding any fats and remember to shake off any excess flour) and pour the mixture into the mold.
Slightly tap the mold on the table to fill any spaces and better level the batter of our delight.
Immediately bake the cake in the center for about 25/30 minutes (check the cooking time, as every oven is different, by inserting a long skewer, which should come out perfectly dry). The cooking times are based on my gas oven, static, and with heat coming only from below.
Immediately remove our orange cake from the oven, let it cool for about ten minutes, then gently remove it from the mold. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
Prepare the glaze.
When the cake is completely cold, prepare the glaze by sifting the powdered sugar into a bowl.
Add the lemon juice in the indicated quantities and mix with a teaspoon until you get a very thick and lump-free mixture.
Transfer the glaze into a pastry bag with a 4 mm nozzle, decorate the cake with small designs as your imagination suggests, and let it dry at room temperature.
We can also decorate our orange delight with melted chocolate, either white or dark (which we will let cool for about 5 minutes before using).
Bon appetit
