Spiced orange festive tray-bake!
So as soon as November hits everything in my house becomes festive, I will bake anything if it's christmassy.
I LOVE these kind of bakes, because they have my 2 favourite flavours in them, orange and cinnamon.
This tray bake is a sure crowd pleaser, orange flavoured fluffy sponge, topped with a cinnamon and mixed spice icing, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and some chopped nuts.
As a good friend of mine said when I made this for her a few weeks back - it's like Christmas in a mouthful!
Recipe
Prep Time :20 mins, plus 30 mins baking
Serves : Cuts into 12 squares using a 12*8 inch tin.
Mine is by silverwood, available at https://www.silverwood-bakeware.com and I highly recommend.
Difficulty : Easy
For the cake
10 oz of margarine (softened)
10 oz light brown sugar
5 Eggs
10 oz Self raising flour
1 Teaspoon baking powder
Zested rind of 3 oranges
1 teaspoon orange essence
1 Teaspoon vanilla paste
teaspoon mixed spice
For the icing
5 oz softened butter or margarine
Juice of ½ orange
10 oz sifted icing sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
Cinnamon sugar and chopped nuts - Optional(1 part ground cinnamon – 3 parts caster sugar)
Preheat your oven to 160-*c
1 - Cream the sugar and butter together well, until the colour starts to lighten, if you're using an electric mixer leave it going for about 2 minutes until they go light and fluffy.
2 - Zest the oranges into the mixture and pour in the vanilla paste, orange essence and mixed spice.
3 - Whisk your eggs together and add to the bowl and mix well (don’t be alarmed if the mixture splits, just add a tablespoon of flour and it will come together again).
4 - Next sift your flour and baking powder into the mix, and fold in until they're all mixed in well.
5 - Pour into a lined and greased traybake tin.
6 - Bake in the oven for approx 25 minutes, it may need a little longer or a little less, depending on your oven.
7 - Once the cake is out the oven, make a buttercream with the butter, icing sugar and orange juice, if the mixture is a little too stiff add more orange juice 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
8 - Spread onto the cake once it's cooled and top with the cinnamon sugar and chopped nuts.
9 - Enjoy!
This mixture can also be used to make cupcakes.
The above will make about 24 cupcakes, so if you're only baking for a few just half the mixture!