Sugar, Spice and all things nice.

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!