James Martin’s walnut and orange cake recipe
Wonderfully sticky and with just the right amount of sweetness, this easy one-layer cake is the perfect mid-afternoon treat with a cup of tea, and works equally well with a drizzle of cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Another winning bake from much-loved television personality James Martin, it appears in his latest book, James Martin’s Spanish Adventure, which is filled with recipes inspired by the celebrity chef’s travels around the country.
This particular treat is James’ take on the classic Spanish orange cake, which hails from Valencia. As delicious as the original recipe is, James couldn’t resist giving it a bit of a twist, explaining: “To change things up, I’ve flavoured my sponge not just with orange, but also walnuts and added an extra layer of flavour with an orange juice and walnut liqueur glaze.”
The result is nothing short of sensational. The sponge is tender and moist with deep citrus notes, while the glaze delivers a glossy finish and a lovely grown-up touch.
Things to note:
You'll need a 20cm (8in) round cake tin.
Once baked, the cake will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 1 orange, zested and sliced
- 1 tbsp walnut liqueur
- 250 g caster sugar
- 5 eggs
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100 g walnuts, chopped
- 8.8 oz unsalted butter
- 1 orange, zested and sliced
- 1 tbsp walnut liqueur
- 8.8 oz caster sugar
- 5 eggs
- 8.8 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3.5 oz walnuts, chopped
- 8.8 oz unsalted butter
- 1 orange, zested and sliced
- 1 tbsp walnut liqueur
- 8.8 oz superfine sugar
- 5 eggs
- 8.8 oz all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3.5 oz walnuts, chopped
- 250 g caster sugar
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 3.5 tbsp walnut liqueur
- 8.8 oz caster sugar
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 3.5 tbsp walnut liqueur
- 8.8 oz superfine sugar
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 3.5 tbsp walnut liqueur
Details
- Cuisine: Spanish-inspired
- Recipe Type: Baking
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 50 mins
- Serves: 8
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm (8in) round cake tin with baking paper.
- To make the cake, beat the butter, orange zest, walnut liqueur and sugar together in a stand mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until thoroughly mixed. Fold in the flour, baking powder (baking soda) and walnuts by hand.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, top with the orange slices and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, heat all the ingredients for the glaze together in a saucepan set over a high heat for 5-6 minutes, until syrupy.
- When the cake is almost completely cool, brush all over with the warm glaze. Serve slices of the cake as is, or with cream or vanilla ice cream.
Recipe adapted from James Martin’s Spanish Adventure by James Martin (published by Quadrille, £27). Photography by Dan Jones.
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James Martin’s cherry and macadamia nut cobbler
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