Mary Berry's orange drizzle cake

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 4 eggs
• 225g (8oz) caster sugar
• 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
• 225g (8oz) baking spread, plus extra for greasing
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange

For the orange drizzle icing

• Juice of ½ orange
• 100g (4oz) caster sugar
• Grated zest of ½ orange (grated using a zester), to decorate

For the buttercream icing

• 100g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
• Finely grated zest of ½ orange
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 150g (5oz) icing sugar, sifted

Method

A simple, but perfect treat for everyday, this recipe from Mary Berry is a cross between a drizzle cake and a Victoria sandwich – a winning combination! The crunchy drizzle topping always goes down well.

1. You will need two 20cm (8in) round, loose-bottomed sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4, then grease the tins with baking spread and line each of the bases with a disc of baking paper.

2. To make the icing, mix the orange juice and sugar together in a bowl.

3. To make the sponges, place all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl and whisk together with an electric hand whisk until combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins and level the tops.

4. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and springy to the touch. After 5 minutes turn out of the tins, remove the baking paper and transfer to a wire rack. Immediately pour the drizzle icing on top of one sponge (see tip), all the way to the edge. Sprinkle with the orange zest (see tip) and set aside to cool down completely.

5. To make the filling, place the butter in a bowl with the orange zest and juice. Adding the icing sugar a little at a time, whisk with an electric hand whisk until smooth.

6. Sit the plain, non-iced sponge on a plate and spread over the buttercream, right to the edges. Place the drizzle-iced sponge on top to sandwich the cakes together. Cut into wedges to serve.

Mary Berry's tips

Prepare ahead

The orange drizzle cake can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead.

Freezing

The sponges freeze well – remember to wrap in cling film then tin foil.

Icing and decorating

It is important to pour the drizzle icing on top of the warm cake so the juices run into the sponge, keeping it moist. Stand the cake over a baking sheet to catch the drips or pour the syrup over the sponge while it is still in the tin, so none is lost.

It’s also important to sprinkle the orange zest over the top of the sponge immediately after the drizzle icing, or the zest will dry out as the cake stands. Alternatively, decorate with zest just before serving.

This recipe is extracted from Mary Berry Everyday, BBC Books, RRP £26.00.

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