The cold winter months practically demand some good, old- fashioned home baking. This delicate buttermilk cake is a wonderful excuse to stay home and chicken out on the snow. Its simplicity makes it quite a treat to eat and to make.
Simple Star Ingredients
The star ingredients in this winning recipe are the vanilla extract and the bright red juice of a blood orange. Brace yourself because these ingredients will create a fantastic aroma which will permeate through your house as the cake happily bakes in the oven! Another equally important ingredient is the buttermilk. Its acidity gives this cake a fine crumb and a meltingly smooth texture.
Lots of Ways to Enjoy
Enjoy this gorgeous cake as a perfect afternoon snack accompanied with a large pot of freshly- brewed tea. You can also dress it up for a special occasion. In that case, serve it with some thick, whipped cream or clotted cream and a dollop of your favorite jam. Other delicious ideas include warm vanilla custard and sliced berries, a good sprinkling of powdered sugar or a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of maple syrup. Of course, the cake also makes a perfect gift.
Delicate Buttermilk and Blood Orange Cake
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 250 g all- purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- pinch of salt
- zest and juice of one small, organic blood orange (You should get approximately 60 ml juice.)
- 250 ml buttermilk
- 200 g caster sugar
- 100 ml sunflower oil
- 2 tsps good- quality vanilla extract
- 3 medium eggs
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Line a 1 1/8 qt. loaf pan with a sheet of baking paper, allowing the paper to hang a little over the edges.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the orange zest and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the buttermilk, sugar, orange juice, sunflower oil and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat again.
- Pour the batter, which will be quite thin, into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Note: The cake freezes exceptionally well. Very handy for any unexpected guests! You can choose to substitute the blood orange for a normal orange, a lime or a lemon. Just remember that it is always best to use organic, unwaxed citrus fruits when baking.
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