I think this will become a norm. That I’ll pop my head once every three months, look around and say “hi” to you all, publish a recipe that has been languishing in my drafts for no less than 500 days and then go back to hibernation. Sometimes I feel I would have been a much more regular blogger if I didn’t have to write stories to accompany my posts, because as much as I do love to share with you the odd bit of exciting thing that has happened in my life, let’s face it, nothing is really “happening” for close to the last one year. Which, according to me, is the best thing ever as that means we are safe, sound and healthy, albeit bored or overworked or fed up with doing the dishes. That is not to say that I haven’t had my fair share of anxiety attacks. It’s been two years that I have been home and I have no idea when I can see my folks next. It’s been 4 years I have met my best buds from school and college, and flung over four different continents, we are clueless as to when fate will bring us together again.
There are a few things keeping me going at a time when the mind plays horrible games. Memories of the past and hope for the future. Facebook did its duty in reminding me yesterday that four years back I was pintxos-hopping on a rainy, rainy day in San Sebastian, Basque country, Spain. And along with that flooded back a host of memories from that trip: the breathtaking sunset in Madrid, running 2.5 km to the station and then almost missing the train to Toledo, the tiniest train coupe on our way to Lisbon, exploring Barcelona on my own and spending our first anniversary with a huge pan of paella, walking the length and breadth of Granada in less than half a day, finishing up a whole tub of Ben n Jerry’s in Cordoba because the hotel room didn’t have a fridge, and in Seville, picking up oranges lying at the foot of the trees and blissfully relishing naranjas de Sevilla!
As I write this, it’s the 266th straight night that I’ve been cocooned inside my house. It’s the first stretch of 9 months in my whole life that I have spent without going home, or on a trip, or to a friend’s place for the weekend. And I know I am not alone in this. But with the constant rains and super early sunsets and no Thanksgiving or Christmas cheer to fill our hearts with warmth, there’s precious little you can do to keep your mood upbeat. It’s here that this Orange Syrup Cake, unfortunately not made with naranjas de Seville, comes into play.
I am a hardcore chocolate lover when it comes to desserts but this moist orange cake with a sweet, bitter and tangy syrup in the stuff that dreams are made of. It’s also incredibly fresh and light and so there’s no guarantee of stopping at the first slice. Make this at your own risk and if your household is anything like mine, it won’t last on your counter for even a full 24 hours!
Orange Syrup Cake
Print
Ingredients
- Caster Sugar: 120 gm
- Flour: 140 gm
- Eggs: 2
- Butter: 50 gm
- Olive oil: 50 ml
- Orange juice, freshly squeezed: 200 ml + 150 ml
- Orange zest: 2 tsp
- Whole orange: 2 medium, unpeeled and sliced thinly
- Orange Marmalade: 3-4 tbsp
- Vanilla essence: 1 1/2 tsp
- Baking Powder: 1 1/2 tsp
- Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
METHOD
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degree C/350 degree F. Line a round springform cake pan with baking parchment and oil/butter the sides.
- In a big mixing bowl, or in a stand mixer, cream the butter, oil and sugar till it turns pale. Add the 2 eggs one by one till light and fluffy but not stiff.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and soda.
- Now fold the flour into the egg mixture bit by bit, alternating with 200 ml of the orange juice till just mixed.
- Now add the orange zest (you can use more if you want it to be more textured), orange marmalade, vanilla essence and fold till smooth and without any lumps.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted at the centre of the cake comes out clean. Once done, wait for the cake to cool on the wire rack before taking it out.
For the syrup:
- While the cake is cooling, soak the sliced orange segments in the remaining orange juice, sprinkle with a tbsp of caster sugar and microwave for 2-3 minutes.
- Poke the surface of the cake with a fork and spoon the syrup into the holes and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Decorate the cake with the orange segments.
- Cut into generous pieces, sit back with a book and a cup of coffee and enjoy!