Sometimes “basic” is a negative word, but not here. This is a basic bake – it’s quick and easy. Basically, it’s tasty, with a lovely lightness and a soft texture. The rich white chocolate and tangy orange combine wonderfully well. If you want to “fancy it up” it would readily take a topping, but what I’m offering here is good basic enjoyment.

Makes: 16 squares

Time: Hands on 25 minutes, then up to 50 minutes baking.

Level: Moderately easy

Equipment: A 20cm/8” square tin, lined with baking parchment

Ingredients

150g/5oz white chocolate, broken into pieces
175g/6oz plain flour (If using Gluten free flour add ½ tsp xanthan gum powder)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
175g/6oz caster sugar
A medium orange (Zest and juice*)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
125ml/4½fl oz milk
75ml/2½fl oz melted butter
50 – 75ml (1¾ – 2½fl oz) orange juice*
A few drops of orange food colouring

Method

1. Prepare the tin. Pre-heat the oven to 180C° / Fan 160° C / 350° F / Gas 4. (Nowadays, I don’t grease my tins; I just cut the parchment to size, wet it with water and stick it in, so no messy washing up!)

2. Melt the white chocolate, preferably using a bain marie on a very low heat setting. Turn the heat off and let the chocolate sit as a liquid for use shortly.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl. Add in the sugar and mix together. (+xanthan gum powder if going GF)

4. Add in all the other ingredients except the orange juice and food colouring. Beat it all together until smooth and well combined.

5. Add the orange juice gradually to the main batter while mixing. It will be a very runny mixture and might need lots of mixing as these liquids don’t combine readily. While doing this, add in a few drops of food colour then add more to obtain the depth of colour that you want.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin then swirl in the melted white chocolate and bake for 45 – 50 minutes. Check by inserting a skewer into the deepest part of the cake. If it comes out clean and dry the cake is done.

I hope you make and enjoy these traybake treats. Click this link for more traybake recipes, or have a look at the rest of my site for lots of other great sweet and savoury recipes.

Here are three of my recipes that I particularly want to recommend; I’m sure you’ll love them:

Blueberry and Orange Flapjack