I was looking for an easy cake that I could whip up for L. to have when he got home from school and for me to use as a means of offloading some of the candied peel that I still have left from Christmas cake making ingredients. The inspiration recipe linked below seemed like the kind of cake that I could tinker with and I highly recommend it.
We tried it 2 ways. On its own merits, with no adornment, it was excellent. It was soft and light and airy and delicious in the afternoon with a cup of tea. I would bake this in a 9x13 pan and serve it in squares. I also made a layer cake version which I complemented with chocolate icing. The chocolate brought out the flavor of the peel and tasted exactly like jaffa cakes, the kind of British grocery store chocolate-orange biscuit made up of a cookie base, a layer of sticky orange jelly covered with chocolate.
Either way, it will be a solid entry in your dessert repertoire.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tsps baking powder
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 tsps orange zest
1/2 tsp orange essence or vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup finely chopped candied peel (I used a variety of citrus peel but orange peel only would work as well)
Preheat oven to 350.
Line the tins you are using with parchment paper and oil the paper with a little vegetable oil.
Put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. I think my substituting confectioner's sugar for the required super fine sugar made a difference and added to the light texture of the cake.
Put all the wet ones in a large measuring cup. Break in the eggs and whisk together well. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and whisk together until incorporated.
Add the chopped peel and the zest and fold in well so that the peel is distributed throughout the batter.
Pour the batter into your prepared pans and place in oven. My cake was done in 30 minutes, the original recipe said 35. Either way, just stick a toothpick or the blade of the knife into the center of the cake when your house smells like the cake is done. You will know if your nose is right if the blade/toothpick comes out clean.
Turn the cake out onto a chopping board or a parchment lined baking tin and allow to cool to warm before eating plain. For the frosted version, allow the cake to cool completely and ice with the frosting of your choice. I made an easy chocolate-orange one of cocoa and butter melted together and then mixed with confectioner's sugar, orange juice, orange zest and orange essence.
Inspiration recipe, here.