Tunisian twist
Zakia’s orange cake
Serves 12
- 2/3 cup (5 1/4fl oz / 150ml) orange juice
- 2/3 cup (5 1/4fl oz / 150ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1cup (7oz/200g) superfine (caster) cane sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (9oz / 250g) pastry flour
- 3 medium eggs
- 2 1/4tsp (1/3oz/10g) baking powder (conventional or natural)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp orange zest
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds of your choice or mixed
- 1 9in (24cm) cake pan
This orange and EVOO cake is a Mahjoub family typical winter recipe. It’s important to use organically grown oranges, since the whole fruit is called for.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Carefully zest an orange then set the zest aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk
attachment, beat the eggs and sugar until pale yellow. - With a spatula, mix in the orange juice, zest, olive oil, sifted flour, and baking powder. Mix well.
- Grease a springform pan with butter or extra virgin oil then spoon in the batter.
- Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Watch carefully from 40 minutes onwards, making sure it does not brown too much.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before turning out.
