Oranges & cake

Oranges

By Michael O Meara

The fresh sweet / sour taste of a ripe orange on a hot summer’s day (or a cold winter’s day for that matter) is always a worthwhile and healthy treat. One of the consolations of global warming may be that we in Ireland might eventually be able to grow our own fresh oranges in the years ahead. Fresh orange blossoms with their pungent perfume would undoubtedly make a wonderful addition to many a garden, in particular because this is a tree the blooms at the same time that it bears fruit giving a truly stunning display.
The orange (citrus sinensis or C. sinensis being both sweet and bitter in their respective order) originated in China where it is recorded as far back as 2,400 BC. There are a great many sub-varieties of orange with most of the world’s crop originating in Brazil and the United states which account for more than two thirds of the global crop. The most important variety of orange is called the ‘Valencia’ which although thought to be of Spanish origin is more likely to have originated in Portugal. Other orange varieties include blood oranges such as the ‘Sanguinello’, Navel oranges which have a small and rudimentary baby fruit imbedded in its apex and are also sweet and juicy, and the versatile ‘seville orange’ which is mainly used in the production of marmalade. The small oranges such as the mandarin are for the most part hybrids between oranges and other citrus fruits.

Orange cake

225 g caster sugar
225 g butter
Grated zest of one orange
4 organic eggs
225g plan white flour
1 tbsp baking powder
15 ml fresh orange juice

Pre heat oven two 180°C
Grease and flour a 12 inch cake tin
1. Cream butter with the sugar, beating till soft and pale in colour. Add the zest and the eggs one by one beating all the time. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and gently stir in, then add the orange juice.
2. Pour the mixture into the baking tin with the centre hollowed out a little. Bake for around 30-40 minutes or until cooked.
3. Turn out and cool on a wire tray.

Garnish with a fresh orange icing and candied orange peel.