Cakesandfrostings - Cake Soaked Orange Sponge

Soaked Orange Sponge

6 large eggs
180 g. (6 oz) sugar
150 g. (5 oz) all-purpose flour
30 g. (1 oz.) cornflour (cornstarch)
30 g. (1 oz.) butter, melted
grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon

Syrup:
60 g. (2 oz.) sugar
25 ml. (1 Tbls. + 2 tsp.) water
Juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon (if you want it more orangy substitute the lemon for a small orange)

Filling and Topping:
80 ml. (1/3 cup) orange curd (rec. follows at end of cake rec.)
250 ml. (1cup) cream, lightly whipped

crystallized orange slices look pretty for a garnish



Grease or spray and baseline a 20 cm. round or square tin.

Preheat oven to 190c(375f)

For the Sponge: Place eggs, sugar, lemon and orange rinds in a bowl over simmering water. Whisk with an electric whisk for about 8 minutes til the mixture is pale and creamy. Remove from the heat.

Sift together the flours and fold in to the egg and sugar mixture along with the melted butter.

Pour into pre-pared cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes or til well risen.

For the Syrup: Place syrup ingredients in a pan and heat gently til sugar dissolves. Bring to boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Spoon syrup over the cooked sponge and leave to cool in tin til cool.

Turn cake out and split into 3 layers carefully.

Filling: Beat the orange curd and fold in the whipped cream. Reserve a third and use the rest to fill the cake and also the sides and top.

Spoon the reserved mixture and place in a piping bag and pipe rosettes on top of the cake and decorated with the crystallized fruit.


Orange Curd

3 oz. castor sugar (superfine)
1 large orange (grated rind and juice)
2 eggs
2 oz. unsalted butter


Place rind and sugar in a bowl.

In another whisk orange juice together with the eggs, then pour this mixture over the sugar. Add the butter in little pieces and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently til thickened about 20 minutes. Leave to cool.

Store in fridge if not using for cake.