Orange cake

Fresh oranges sitting on the kitchen counter were giving me a left out alone !!!! look .Lil Z loves oranges to the core ,He wants to eat it even if they are sour ,"No problem momma just add a little bit of salt and pepper it will be okay,it was his justification to eat the sour oranges .

Any ways I was not okay with his word due to the chill weather .Iwas just pondering upon what to make with these oranges as I had already made orange pudding, I wanted something different for the kids to rejoice their holidays ,suddenly this orange cake clicked to me which was a long...... pending "to do " due.My kids love baked goodies very much ,but now a days I am avoiding it due to health concerns -and all thanks to the ever increasing weight !!!

If you bake some thing how can you control your self from having a bite of it!!!.Indeed a difficult task .But my kids keep pestering "momma this is totally unfair if you are on a diet then you can bake for us ?don't u love us ?This is seriously emotional blackmailing :) 

I too feel that baking and frosting a cake is a way to express your love to your loved ones ,so finally surrendered my self to the kids and agreed to bake a cake for them .Naked cake are the talk of the season ....and do cater a minimal calories unlike the frosted cakes loaded with whipped cream or butter cream or even fondants ,so I  had it just plain cake with a cup of coffee.If you wish you can go for a frosting with whipped cream or chocolate mouse as I had done for Joan's cake .I personally prefer frosted cakes for any birthdays or family occasions  .

Now over to the recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup apf  (maida)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 55gms butter(unsalted)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup  Castor  or powdered sugar 
• 1 orange (big)

METHOD

1. Grease a cake tin and set aside.
2. Sieve flour and baking powder from a height for 2-3 times .
3. In a wide bowl cream the butter and sugar with a hand blender until soft and the sugar dissolves .
4. Add eggs each at a time and beat until it becomes fluffy and increases in volume .
5. preheat the oven at 180 c .Grate the rind of orange with a fine grater and juice it  
6. Now slowly add the flour mix in 3-4 batches and mix it slowly until incorporated .Add the orange rind.
7. Pour the mixture in the cake tin and and level the top with the back of a spoon .
8. Tap the tin to remove any air bubbles if present .
9. Bake  for 30 - 40 mints or until the skewer comes out clean .
10. Remove the cake and allow to cool in the tin .
11. while the cake is still warm pour the juice of orange over it slowly ,little by little so that the cake absorbs equally .
12. Let it sit for 1/2 an hour  and remove it from the tin and cool it on a wire rack .

NOTES

1. Make sure  that all the things are at room temperature .
2. I personally use powdered sugar as it dissolves faster. 
3. Temperature varies from oven to oven .so keep checking after 30 mints .
4.  Step 2 is important to avoid any lumps,so never skip.

.........................................Happy baking 

linking this to Remya's event