Today I share with you an old country recipe from the province of Teramo that I’ve known since I was a young girl, the orange cake with orange cream lactose-free.
I can say this is definitely one of the most authentic childhood cakes I’ve ever had, and today I give you the recipe ❤️
It’s one of those desserts I’ve always found on Abruzzo tables for every holiday, occasion, or simple gathering. An ancient sweet Abruzzese that has been passed down for generations, also known in other parts of Italy with various versions and variants.
A cake my grandmother used to make often, bringing the family together! So simple to make but, like all “desserts of the past”, it never goes out of style!
The great thing about this cake is that it’s lactose-free, so it’s also suitable for those who are intolerant. The ingredients are few, simple, and economical, mostly already in our pantry.
Eggs, sugar, seed oil, flour, and baking powder and of course the star, the orange, using both the juice and the zest.
This fluffy cake like a cloud takes 10 minutes to prepare and about 30 to bake. Once ready, let it cool and fill it with a delicate and very delicious orange cream.
Another feature of this cake is that the cream is also lactose-free. Instead of milk, orange juice is used, resulting in a lighter yet equally delicious filling!
The soft orange cake with orange cream can be kept for days. You can leave it at room temperature for a day and then put it in the fridge, especially if it’s too hot at home. Better covered so it won’t absorb other food odors.
You can also freeze it to avoid unnecessary waste and enjoy it without worrying about it spoiling.
When freezing a cake, I always recommend slicing it so you have ready portions. Use airtight containers and separate the slices with pieces of parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
The cake filled with orange cream is perfect for any occasion. If you want to pamper yourself with a special breakfast, a nice orange juice, and a slice of this cake are just right! Or serve it as a dessert at the end of a meal, as a birthday cake or during a buffet.
For a more special decoration instead of powdered sugar, you can whip cream and decorate the cake with lots of dollops and a few slices of candied orange. It will be a masterpiece!
But now, let’s get to the point! I’ll leave you with some other delicious recipes that may interest you!
Make sure to read to the end, you’ll find useful tips for executing this recipe and a little treat for you 😍❤️
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: about 10 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Autumn, Winter, Spring
Ingredients
- 3 eggs (medium, whole)
- 150 g sugar (white or brown)
- 70 g seed oil (best to avoid olive oil, it would make this cake too heavy)
- 80 g orange juice
- to taste orange zest
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 1 packet baking powder
- 400 g orange juice
- 4 tablespoons sugar (1 tablespoon of sugar is about 15-20 g)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch (or all-purpose flour considering that 1 tablespoon of flour = 10-12 grams while 1 tablespoon of starch = about 20 g)
Tools
- Bowl
- Mixer
- Spatula
- Sifter
- Baking Pan
- Citrus Juicer
- Lemon Grater
- Saucepan
Steps
In a bowl, break the medium whole eggs, add the sugar and beat with an electric mixer for about 10 minutes until you get a fluffy and frothy mixture.
Flavor with the grated zest of one orange, then add the seed oil and mix. I advise against using olive oil as it would make this dessert too heavy.
Now pour in the orange juice and blend with the mixer off to prevent the liquids from splashing out of the bowl!
Finally, sift the flour and baking powder with a sieve to prevent lumps.
Mix for a few more minutes with the beaters to blend well and obtain a smooth and velvety mixture.
Butter and flour a 9-inch pan or simply line it with parchment paper. Pour the entire mixture inside.
Bake the orange cake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 30-35 minutes.
As I always point out, baking times vary from oven to oven, so I advise against opening it in the first half hour; check again after 30 minutes.
Gently and quickly touch the surface of the cake, if it’s firm, do the toothpick test and if it comes out dry, remove it from the oven.
If the surface is NOT firm, immediately close the oven and let it bake for another 5-10 minutes before checking again.
Once ready, the orange cake should cool completely before being sliced in half.
Since the cake needs to cool, let’s prepare the orange cream without milk. It’s quick!
The only thing we need to do is squeeze the orange (since we used the orange zest in the cake batter, you can zest it before starting, so you don’t have to use another one just for the zest 😉).
The number of oranges to use varies depending on their weight. To get 14 oz of juice, you’ll need about 6 medium oranges, get a few more just to be safe!
Take a not-too-large saucepan and sift in the cornstarch, then add half of the obtained juice and mix with a whisk to eliminate lumps.
Pour in the remaining juice and the sugar and mix with a hand whisk. Only at this point take everything on the burner, set to low, and cook.
Stir continuously with the whisk, stopping every now and then for a few seconds, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Cook the orange cream without milk for about 10 minutes or until it thickens.
At this point, pour the cream into a glass or ceramic bowl, cover it with plastic wrap in contact, and let it cool.
Once cooled, I added a tablespoon of my wonderful homemade orange marmalade to the cream, but it’s not mandatory 😋😉
We are ready for the most delicious part! The filling!
Only once the cake is completely cold, cut it exactly in half and using a knife or spatula, fill it with all the obtained cream.
Spread well over the entire surface, then cover with the other layer and dust with powdered sugar.
As mentioned in the introduction, if you want to make this cake for a birthday, you can decorate it festively using whipped cream and a nice piping bag.
Additionally, you can make it even more beautiful by placing a few slices of candied orange in the center of the cake.
For the candied process, you can follow my vegan lemon cake and do the same, replacing lemon slices with orange slices.
Instead of candied orange, you can simply use grated orange zest on top or pistachio crumbs that go perfectly with this cake.
For a completely gluten-free version, you can replace the base of this cake with a sponge cake (4 eggs + 120 g sugar + 120 g cornstarch), the procedure is here: Sponge cake without yeast.
I hope you enjoyed this Abruzzese country cake! Let me know in the comments if you try it and come back soon to discover new recipes!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
Every time we make a dessert with citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, clementines, etc.), it’s preferable to use organic oranges, untreated, to make the final product safe and genuine.
Thanks to my friend Filomena, who owns a citrus grove in Sicily, I have the opportunity to use organic oranges from Agrumi Faro, a company located in the heart of Sicily.
I invite you to take a look at their website to discover the many wonderful high-quality products you could bring to your tables.
If you like, I also leave you with a small DISCOUNT CODE: GABRIELLA03 that you can use whenever you want. For any information, feel free to ask in the comments, I will be happy to answer 🧡🍊
If you feel like making this cake when oranges are not in season, you can do as I do, freeze both lemons and whole oranges (after washing and drying them well). This way, I can use the juice even when they’re out of season.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I make the base of this cake gluten-free without making the sponge cake?
Yes, you can try using the gluten-free flour mix you’re used to for your desserts.
Can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar?
Of course! The amount remains the same 😉
Can I keep the cake at room temperature? For how many days?
Given the presence of cream, you can keep it at room temperature for one day. Then I suggest refrigerating it and covering it well. It can last for about 4 days.
If you’re worried about not consuming it all, you can safely freeze it. In this case, I suggest slicing it and placing the slices in an airtight container, separating them so they don’t stick together.Can I use the lactose-free orange cream for other desserts, like a tart?
Absolutely! You can use it to make a nice tart or pour it over a delicious cheesecake. In the case of a tart, you can use this cream whether you then put the tart in the oven or fill one you baked separately for a cold cream filling with fresh fruit.
Can I use flour instead of cornstarch for the cream?
If you prefer, yes, you can replace cornstarch with all-purpose flour. The amounts remain the same. Or you can use rice starch for a gluten-free version.
