Recipe test: Moist Orange Cake

I guess this is a quote of a quote--I found it on Simply Sweet 'n Savory's blog, but they cited Magali March's blog as the original source.  At any rate, it's a lovely cake, with a faint dreamsicle flavor to it.  It's not too sweet and compliments a lot of different cuisines (Magali March is Mexican, but I served this at the end of a New Orleans-style brunch.

In keeping with my long-term goal to break my New Year's resolution as soon as possible, I made a couple of very slight modifications, just to make the ingredient list less fussy and keep the dirty dishes to a minimum. I do recommend sticking with the fresh orange juice, though--it has a much smoother flavor than the acidic stuff we buy ready-to-drink.

Magali March's Moist Orange Cake

Serves 8

Cake :

1 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp.  baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp.  vanilla extract
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (squeeze it from the oranges--it's better)

Glaze:

1/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice

Make the Cake :

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease and lightly flour an 8-inch round cake pan.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Beat in vanilla. Stir in orange juice, flour, salt, and baking powder and blend well. 

Pour the batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven & transfer to a serving plate. Peel off paper, let cool. While the cake is cooling, prepare syrup.

Make the Orange Syrup : 

Combine sugar and orange juice in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Prick top of cake with a fork, pour the syrup over warm cake. Set aside for 30 minutes, so the syrup is absorbed into the cake.  Cut the cake into wedges and serve.