Sicilian Orange Cake

The cake is very soft, moist and delicious with orange flavour. My family members comment  is too sweet and I think I should not add the icing. I am going to try again without icing next time.

Ingredients :~


250 g lightly salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

250 g caster sugar

4 medium eggs

1.5 tsp finely grated orange zest ( I add 2 tsp)

250 g self raising flour

85 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

For the icing:

125 g icing sugar

5 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice ( I add only 4 tbsp)

Method :~



Preheat oven to 170 C. Grease and line a 22-cm clip-sided round cake with non-stick baking paper.

Using an electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for 4-5 minutes until very pale. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating very well between each one, if necessary adding a spoonful of flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture from curdling. Beat in the orange zest. Add the flour all at once and mix in well, then slowly mix in the orange juice.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer, inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean. If it starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a sheet of lightly buttered foil.

Leave the cake, in its tin, to cool on a wire rack, then carefully remove the sides and base of the tin and peel off the paper. Put it onto a serving plate.

For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in the orange juice until you have a spreadable consistency. Spread it over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides, and leave to set.