mitzireddy

During both my pregnancies I waited to experience those special food cravings that I heard and read about – it just never happened. I felt cheated that I did not send hubby dashing off at all hours of the night to buy whatever savoury or sweet craving that needed to be satisfied irrespective of the hour. My mum laughed indulgently when I complained – my family knows that whatever food I crave I will end up making it – did not need to be pregnant.
I enjoy fruit – luckily so does the rest of my family – there is always seasonal fruit at home – and it’s wonderful that Wollies is stocking non seasonal fruit and veggies – yeah!! I had a yen for an orange cake and when a friend gave me a bag of oranges when she came to visit – this gave me the excuse I needed to satisfy this particular craving.
After scratching through my many cookbooks I settled for this recipe from the You Let’s Cook 1. The recipe calls for everyday ingredients and the cake is soaked in orange syrup. I was glad that I did not make a glace icing to pour over the cake to pretty it up – the cake is sweet enough and does not need any icing.

ORANGE CAKE

200ml margarine
375ml castor sugar
25ml grated orange rind
4 extra -large eggs
125ml plain yoghurt
50ml fresh orange juice
500ml cake flour
2ml bicarbonate of soda

SAUCE
250ml orange juice
50ml lemon juice
12.5ml grated orange rind
12.5ml grated lemon rind
125ml sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 20 cm ring tin.
Cream the margarine and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the orange rind and blend well.
Add the eggs one by one, beating thoroughly after each addition.
Mix the yoghurt and orange juice and add to the mixture.
Sift the cake flour and bicarbonate of soda together and add to the mixture.
Blend well and pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until a testing skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
Stand the cake in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool slightly.
Blend all the ingredients for sauce in a saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring continuously. Boil for 5 minutes and pour over the cake while still hot.