With so many oranges just falling into the road below our house and getting squished by cars, I thought I would try making a Portuguese traditional orange cake.

There are so many variations of this cake and some use olive oil but I prefer to use butter so I adapted the recipe a little. I still used the freshly pressed orange juice and zest from our orange tree. Bolo de Laranja in Portugal is usually made in a round tin with the hole in the middle but I don’t own one so I used a loaf tin which worked just fine. It is also served with an orange syrup but I like it plain.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large eggs
  • 160g caster sugar
  • 180g self-raising flour
  • 150g butter
  • 3 small oranges – juice and zest
  • Sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence (optional)
  • Dust with icing sugar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a loaf tin.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. I used an electric mixer.

Sift in the flour, stirring well.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and pour it into the batter.

Juice and zest the fresh oranges and and add to bowl.

Pour the batter into a pre greased loaf tin and bake for 45-60 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.