If I have to choose just one cake to be my favorite then it will be ORANGE CAKE. The taste of orange in dessers is just amazing; it gives a very fresh & vibrant kick.

This cake is so easy, comes together in minutes & doesnt require any sophisticated ingredients yet the result is EPIC. A very fluffy, moist & not too dense cake. Just baking this cake will make your home smell like a garden.

I have 2 tricks that make this cake the BEST orange cake I ever tasted. First, it is flavored only with orange zest & second, it is drizzled with a sweet orange syrup which really takes this cake to the top.

Thank you Ina Garten for the Orange syrup idea!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 100 gm butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• zest of 2 large oranges
• 1/2 cup rayeb milk at room temperature

For the Orange Sauce:

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 175 C. Grease a 29×16 cm loaf pan with butter & dust with flour. Set aside.
• In a bowl sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt together. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter & sugar together for about 5 minutes on medium speed until light & fluffy. Add the eggs, one a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract & orange zest.
• Add the flour mixture & rayeb milk alternately to the batter, beginning & ending with the flour (you will add little flour then little rayeb milk by turn until you finish them all).
• Pour the batter in the greased loaf pan & smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking, prepare the orange syrup. Put the orange juice & sugar in a small pan over low heat. Cook until the sugar is totally dissolved. Turn off heat.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes then invert it on a wired rack. Pour the orange syrup over the cake & let it cool completely.
• Serve at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in an air tight containter on the kitchen counter for about 3 days.

Notes:

• 100 gm butter = 1 stick Lurpack butter. Make sure the butter is at room temperature otherwise the cake texture will be affected.
• If you use a loaf pan with other dimensions, the baking time will vary. To measure a loaf pan, you measure across the top NOT the bottom.
• The orange syrup will become thicker as it cools, don’t worry that’s how it’s supposed to be.
• Place a plate under the wire rack while drizzling the orange syrup on the cake to catch any drippings.