Orange Cake, Ancona-Style
- Total Time
- About 2 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting the pan
- 3eggs
- Grated peel of 3 oranges
- 4tablespoons (½ stick) butter, softened to room temperature, plus butter for greasing the pan
- 1cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2tablespoons ouzo liqueur
- 1tablespoon whole milk
- 2½teaspoons baking powder
- 2cups freshly squeezed orange juice, with 3 tablespoons sugar dissolved in it.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350.
- Step 2
Put the flour, eggs, orange peel, 4 tablespoons softened butter, sugar and ouzo in a food processor, and run until all the ingredients are evenly amalgamated.
- Step 3
Add the milk and baking powder, and process again to incorporate into the mixture.
- Step 4
Thickly smear a tube pan with butter, and dust with flour. Put the cake mixture in the pan (it won’t fill it up all the way), and place the pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top of the cake becomes a rich gold color.
- Step 5
When the cake is done, place the bottom of the pan over a tumbler or tall mug, using pot holders, and push down to raise the loose bottom. Take the tube with the cake out of the hoop, work the cake loose from the bottom with a knife and lift it away from the tube. Place it on a plate with a slightly raised rim.
- Step 6
While the cake is still warm, poke many holes in it using a chopstick or any similar narrow tool. Into each of the holes, slowly pour some of the orange juice. At first the hole fills to the brim with juice, but this will subsequently — in about an hour — be absorbed by the cake. Serve at room temperature, with more orange juice drizzled over each slice.
- You can keep the cake for up to 1 week in the refrigerator, fully covered by plastic wrap.
Private Notes
Comments
Could you use Grand Marnier or Cointreau instead of Ouzo?
This is the best cake I ever made. I used a bundt pan similar to the one in the photo. Only modifications were to skip the Ouzo (I didn't have any) and use 2% milk (because it was on hand). Make sure you put the cake on a plate or pan with a lip on it when you pour on the orange juice. The cake is delicious cold out of the refrigerator the next day, and for the next 4 days thereafter. I thought about putting icing on it, but it doesn't need it. Make this, you won't be sorry.
The picture suggests a Bundt pan but the recipe calls for a tube pan (with removable bottom.) The cake doesn't rise much and is a little dense. Probably based on the technique.
I made this cake one day ahead, which improved the flavor profile. I followed another reader's advice and removed the cake from the bundt pan first, then reinserted the cake into the pan and put holes in the bottom of the cake with a wooden skewer. I poured some of the orange juice/Cointreau mixture into the holes. I served it with additional juice and a whipped cream/creme fraich topping. Very moist and flavorful cake. And as others have noted, it is not overly sweet. Perfect coffee cake.
I selected this cake since it sounded tasty and only used 3 eggs. the comments from others were very helpful. once I had everything ready to put in the Cuisinart I started and as others have said, it was too thick. I put in the syrup from stem ginger (and 4 pieces of ginger as well). that did the trick to loosen it up. Baked and as was suggested, popped it out of the bundt pan and then put it back in to absorb all the juice. we loved it. next time I will change the order of mixing items
Great flavor. Dense No rise brick. Definitely not the cake pictured.
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