Here’s a delightful cake, that’s quick and easy. It’s light and sweet without being over-rich. It’s definitely a tea-time-treat type of cake.

Makes: 10 – 12 slices

Time: 20 min. prep. 40 – 50 min baking + cooling + decorating time, depending on style chosen.

Level: Easy

Need: A 20cm/8” round tin, ideally loose bottomed.

Ingredients

150g/5½oz butter/baking spread (Stork)
115g/4oz light brown sugar
175g/6oz runny honey
2 – 3 tbsp orange juice
200g/7oz S.R. flour
Orange zest (from half an orange)
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp orange extract (optional)

To decorate*

75g/2½oz butter
100g/3½oz full fat cream cheese
200g/7oz – 250g/9oz icing sugar + some for dusting
1 tbsp orange juice
A little honey (but avoid thinning the mixture)
Orange zest from remaining half orange

* With these amounts you can either fill the cake or put a layer on top. Double the mixture if you fancy doing both.

Method

1. Grease & line the cake tin. Turn the oven on to reach 180°C / fan 160°C / 350°F / Gas 4.

2. Place the butter, sugar, honey and orange juice in a saucepan and heat until melted and mixed well. (Don’t let it boil.) Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Sift the flour into a bowl and mix in the orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the cooled honey mixture, the beaten eggs and the orange extract (if using). Beat until smooth.

4. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40 – 50 minutes. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.

5. To fill and/or decorate beat together soft butter and cream cheese then sift in icing sugar. Stir at first then beat more vigorously. Stir in the orange juice and honey to make a firm but spreadable mixture. (If it’s a bit runny, place in fridge for 30 minutes or longer.)

6. To fill the cake (as shown) cut horizontally into halves and spoon or pipe the mixture onto one half before stacking them. To top the cake, either dust with icing sugar or use a second buttercream mixture. Finish off with a sprinkling of orange zest.

I hope you enjoy this lovely cake. If you want more cake recipes click this link, or have a look at my site for lots of other great recipes, both sweet and savoury.