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The Amazing Orange Cake

very now and then, a recipe comes along that is set to take over the world. The Amazing Orange Cake is just such a recipe.

It has to be the richest, moistest, butteriest and yet lightest orange cake in the world, and I am very thrilled that Margie Agostini of Caffe Agostini in Sydney has given me the recipe to share with you.

Be warned, however: it IS big. Margie and I work on the principle that if cake is good, then a big cake must be better. You can order springform cake tins of 28 cm and 31cm (£3.99 and £5.99 plus VAT and delivery) from www.nisbets.co.uk, for next day delivery. I found my Silverwood 30 cm round, loose base tin in the spiffing new kitchen department of John Lewis, for £14 in Oxford Street, London.

Or you can halve the ingredients and bake it at 170C/Gas 3 in a 22cm cake tin for 45 to 50 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Serves 10
Takes 1 hr 30 mins + cooling time

500g butter

500g castor sugar

8 x 60g eggs

1 tbsp grated orange zest

500g self-raising flour

200ml freshly squeezed orange juice

Icing: 250g icing sugar and 50ml orange juice

Heat the oven to 170C/Gas 3. You will need a 30 cm cake tin with removable sides, lined with non-stick silicone paper (eg Bakewell), or well-greased with butter.
Cream the butter and sugar well, until it is very pale and thick - this will take quite a while.
Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition, and the zest, if using. Add the flour all at once, and beat well, then slowly add the orange juice, until it is incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes - or until an inserted skewer comes out clean (slow is best, so don' t be afraid to cook it longer. If it starts to brown too much on the top, cover loosely with a sheet of buttered kitchen foil.)
Leave the cake in the tin on a wire rack to cool, then gently remove the sides of the tin.
To make the icing, stir the orange juice into the icing sugar until you have the right spreading consistency, and apply with a palette knife, allowing the icing to drip down the sides of the cake. Leave the icing to set before cutting the cake into wedges or storing in an airtight container.