In season ORANGES & LEMONS

Bursts of citrus are the perfect winter pick-me-up. Treat yourself!

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Orange drizzle cake

PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES (+ COOLING) SERVES 8

200g butter, softened, plus extra melted to grease

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

1 tablespoon orange rind, finely grated

4 eggs, beaten lightly

1 cup (120g) almond meal

2 tablespoons orange or blood orange juice

Candied orange slices, for serving

ORANGE DRIZZLE

½ cup (110g) caster sugar

⅓ cup (80ml) orange or blood orange juice

ICING

1½ cups (240g) icing sugar, sifted

1½ tablespoons orange or blood orange juice

1 Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan. Grease a 24cm bundt pan liberally with a pastry brush and extra melted butter (see tip). Dust pan with extra flour, turning to coat evenly. Shake out excess flour. Refrigerate pan while preparing cake batter.

2 Beat butter, sugar and orange rind with an electric mixer on low speed for 8 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Increase speed to medium and gradually beat in eggs until combined.

3 On low speed, fold in combined flour and almond meal, then orange juice, alternately, in two batches. Spread mixture into prepared pan.

4 Bake cake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Pierce cake with a skewer in pan, stand for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a baking paper-lined cooling rack. Pierce top side of cake with a skewer.

5 To make the orange drizzle, stir sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan. Simmer for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.

6 Slowly pour or brush all of the hot orange drizzle over the warm cake. Cool.

7 To make the icing, whisk icing sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl until smooth, adding a little more juice to achieve a thick pouring consistency.