This orange syrup cake, from For Friends & Family, by Nicky Stubbs, R385, (Human & Rousseau), is delicious served warm with your favourite cuppa

(Taken from Cook with Ina Paarman)

INGREDIENTS

  • 500g butter, at room temperature
  • 400g sugar
  • 5 extra large eggs
  • 10ml grated orange rind
  • 450g cake flour
  • 15ml baking powder
  • 2,5ml salt
  • 5ml vanilla essence
  • 190ml milk

For the orange syrup

  • 125ml freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 125ml sugar
  • 100g butter
  • Grated orange rind

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a standard cake tin.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric beater until pale and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each one. Add the grated orange rind.
  4. Sift the dry ingredients twice. Add the vanilla essence to the milk.
  5. Alternately fold the dry ingredients and the milk into the creamed mixture. Do not stir too much but make sure the batter is blended.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
  7. Bake for 1 hour until the cake is firm to the touch and a needle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack placed over a large plate.
  8. Mix all the ingredients for the syrup in a bowl and microwave or heat in a saucepan until boiling and the sugar has dissolved.
  9. Pour the hot syrup over the cake. Any syrup that drips onto the plate can be drizzled over again.

(Serves 12)