Torta al arancia (Orange cake)

Facile, facile, facilissima (easy, easy, very easy). Really, this cake is so easy to make. It is also extremely moist and juicy. Using blood red oranges gives the cake a certain bitterness which is complimentary against the semi sweet cake batter. Blood red is the perfect colour description for these typical Italian oranges, they are so intensely rich. Vibrant juice flies everywhere when slicing them, including getting covered in it. This actually makes me happy as the colour and scent is amazing. Also the house fills with zesty goodness as it bakes happily in the oven, a perfect mood lifter. This really is one of my favourite cakes, I love dousing the cake with orange syrup at the final stage. It is just so pretty, almost to good to cut.

I recently cooked mini versions of this for a prestigious local restaurant, adding a little cracked pepper on top, and serving it with a blood orange reduction and a side of homemade goats milk gelato....it was certainly a crowd pleaser.

What you need: 
250g and two tablespoons of sugar
250g flour tipo 00
250g unsalted butter
six organic eggs
1/2 tablespoon baking powder 
orange zest
four blood oranges sliced (or used the variety in season)
25g butter
Syrup:
juice of one orange
100g sugar

How to make:

1: Line a round baking tin with baking paper. Finely cube 25g of butter and place smalls cubes at the bottom of tin, sprinkle with two tablespoons of sugar. Slice oranges, then place on top of sugar and butter in the design of your choice

2: Beat together the sugar and eggs, pour in melted warm butter and blend

3: Sift in the flour and baking powder, and zest of orange. Blend together and pour into baking tin over oranges

4: Place in a pre-heated 180 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or until baked

5: Heat sugar and lemon juice together until melted. Use a skewer to prick cake several times, then pour over sugar syrup while still in cake tin. Allow the sugar syrup to thoroughly soak into cake, about 30 minutes.

6: Remove cake from tin and present up-side down to reveal the gorgeous fruit design on top