After several soup recipe posts, I think it's time for a shift to something wickedly sweet. Mind you this cake is certainly not for the weight conscious.
Made by my grandmother since she was a young lady, this recipe is approximately 80 years old. Passed down to my sister, she has been baking it for the last 20 years and perfecting it each year. It has become the traditional birthday cake amongst the family and it never lasts beyond the next day.
Whilst time consuming in the preparation and baking, it is certainly worth the effort for those really special events.
Orange Torte
Cake
10 eggs, separated
300g sugar
200g plain flour
Juice of 1 lemon
Orange Cream
280g sugar
2 full eggs
6 egg yolks
2 tsp plain flour
6T milk
2 orange rinds
300g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes
Method
Cake
Preheat oven 160 degrees. Separate the eggs into two large mixing bowls. Add the sugar to the yolk and mix until it has a creamy texture.
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks then gently fold into the egg yolk. Add the flour and lemon juice, gently fold again.
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| Beating the egg whites to stiff peaks. |
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| Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolks. |
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| Add the flour and lemon juice and gently fold till mixed. |
Pour the cake mix into a large non-stick springform baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for about an hour until the top is golden-brown and the wooden skewer comes out clean from the center of the cake.
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| Golden-brown on top and the wooden skewer is clean. |
Orange Cream
Combine all the ingredients and mix until nice and creamy. Add the orange rind and transfer into a non-stick saucepan. Cook on low heat and stir constantly. You will find as it cooks, the cream will rise in the pot. Keep stirring. The cream will start reducing and thickening. The cream is cooked when the consistency is thick. Put the saucepan into some cold water in the sink to cool it quickly and stir a couple times.
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| Combine ingredients until creamy. |
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| The reduced and thickened cream. |
Place the cubed butter into a mixing bowl and add the cream mixture from the saucepan. With an electric mixer, beat until all mixed in, fluffy in texture and the colour is light.
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| Light and fluffy texture of finished cream. |
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| The necessary taste test. |
Cut the cake in half horizontally and spread about half the cream on top of the base evenly. Replace the top half of the cake and evenly spread the cream on top and the sides. Decorate if preferred with chocolate sprinkles.
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| We don't fuss with perfection too much. We just want to eat it... |
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| ...but it was Grandma's birthday, so we made an effort and junior made sure we did it right. |
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| Serve with a sweet dessert wine. |
