Retro Recipe Sticky Orange Cake

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I was looking through my late Grannie's recipe books and folders when I came across to recipe for Sticky Orange Cake.
I can't name the magazine it came out of or date it other than by the colour of the paper. I reckon the recipe dates to the late 1950's.

Between you and I, I think they've missed an opportunity to add an orange glaze to the loaf. I'd suggest that 250ml of orange juice is mixed with 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup or golden syrup and warmed and reduced to a thicker sauce (probably simmering for 5-10 minutes to reduce in volume by half. Stab the cake once cooked and out of the cake tin, repeatedly with a toothpick and then carefully spoon (or very carefully pour) the slightly cooked orange syrup over the top of the cake (exactly the way you do fit a lemon drizzle cake).

Ingredients
8 oz plain flour
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 level teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 oz margarine
4 oz dark brown sugar
2 level tablespoon golden syrup
2 level tablespoon table
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 large egg (size 2)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon together
3. Put the margarine, sugar, golden syrup and treacle into a large saucepan and gently heat until the margarine has melted.
4. Remove from heat and add the orange rings, orange juice, egg and flour mixture, then beat the mixture will with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth with no lumps in it.
5. Pour the mixture in to the prepared tin and bake just before the center of the oven for 1 hour until firm and springy to the touch.
6. Allow the cake to cool sightly before rejoicing from the tin and leave to cool.
7. If you've made the sticky orange drizzle, stab the cake with a toothpick repeatedly and carefully spoon the drizzle onto the surface of the cake and allow it to be absorbed.

 

[JAS_OH1]

I agree about the glaze, but I am not fond of maple...I would probably use honey instead. I don't even know what golden syrup is?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I don't even know what golden syrup is?

It's a syrup that's golden in colour... seriously that's what it is, a sugar solution that's golden in colour and tastes really nice. I'm not keen on honey, I find it too sweet.
Golden syrup - Wikipedia

 

[JAS_OH1]

It's a syrup that's golden in colour... seriously that's what it is, a sugar solution that's golden in colour and tastes really nice. I'm not keen on honey, I find it too sweet.
Golden syrup - Wikipedia

I figured with the orange it would be less sweet? I would probably reduce the orange juice and then stir in a small amount of honey at the end.

I use honey in lieu of syrup regularly. I just use less of it. Using local honey really helps with my allergies but I'm sure you already knew about that...

At ay rate, nice recipe!

 

[TastyReuben]

I agree about the glaze, but I am not fond of maple...I would probably use honey instead. I don't even know what golden syrup is?

It’s sort of like Karo syrup, like halfway between light and dark. I always sub in light sorghum for it.

 

[TastyReuben]

I was looking through my late Grannie's recipe books and folders when I came across to recipe for Sticky Orange Cake.

Hey, I made this!

Of course me being me, I royally messed it up, but it still came out just fine.

The problem was my usual downfall - deciding to make a half-recipe, then while getting the ingredients together, forgetting that and pressing on with a full recipe.

I had all the dry ingredients halved, and the sugary ones as well, then without thinking, I went with full amounts on the juice, and zest, and egg. On the juice, I subbed in store-bought OJ, because I needed to use it up (and because I wanted to eat the orange I got the zest from), and then I added a little more OJ as well.

That resulted in something that was less a batter, and more like a smoothie, but I was already committed, so onward!

I opted for a standard orange glaze (confectioners’/icing sugar, OJ, and zest), and didn’t do the stabby-stabby bit you recommended, as I wanted it to stay on top.

Anyway, I poured it into the pan (yes, poured, and it was so thin, I didn’t even need a spatula to get it all), and I figured it wouldn’t rise at all, but believe it or not, what you see above is about doubled in thickness, so it rose quite well, considering.

Also, I assumed, being so thin, that once it cooled it would collapse and be dense, but no, it held its shape for the most part, and I can attest the cake is very light and spongy. As far as texture goes, it’s one of the better cakes I’ve made.

Of course, that means when I go back and make it properly, it’ll be a mess.

The flavor…divine! It has a split personality - the syrups and the cinnamon say Autumn, but the orange juice and zest say Summer. Im already imaging this as a layer cake, with a thin spread of marmalade between the layers.

Thanks for posting this, it’s delicious. There are already three nice-sized slices missing!

 

[JAS_OH1]

Hey, I made this!

Of course me being me, I royally messed it up, but it still came out just fine.

The problem was my usual downfall - deciding to make a half-recipe, then while getting the ingredients together, forgetting that and pressing on with a full recipe.

I had all the dry ingredients halved, and the sugary ones as well, then without thinking, I went with full amounts on the juice, and zest, and egg. On the juice, I subbed in store-bought OJ, because I needed to use it up (and because I wanted to eat the orange I got the zest from), and then I added a little more OJ as well.

That resulted in something that was less a batter, and more like a smoothie, but I was already committed, so onward!

View attachment 99504View attachment 99505View attachment 99506View attachment 99507

I opted for a standard orange glaze (confectioners’/icing sugar, OJ, and zest), and didn’t do the stabby-stabby bit you recommended, as I wanted it to stay on top.

Anyway, I poured it into the pan (yes, poured, and it was so thin, I didn’t even need a spatula to get it all), and I figured it wouldn’t rise at all, but believe it or not, what you see above is about doubled in thickness, so it rose quite well, considering.

Also, I assumed, being so thin, that once it cooled it would collapse and be dense, but no, it held its shape for the most part, and I can attest the cake is very light and spongy. As far as texture goes, it’s one of the better cakes I’ve made.

Of course, that means when I go back and make it properly, it’ll be a mess.

The flavor…divine! It has a split personality - the syrups and the cinnamon say Autumn, but the orange juice and zest say Summer. Im already imaging this as a layer cake, with a thin spread of marmalade between the layers.

Thanks for posting this, it’s delicious. There are already three nice-sized slices missing!

What about a cream cheese marmalade frosting for that layer cake?

I love it when my mistakes turn out well.

 

[TastyReuben]

What about a cream cheese marmalade frosting for that layer cake?

That would work. I do have a recipe for orange buttercream frosting as well.

I’d probably opt for the glaze I just used, though. I could drink that stuff, or maybe just dust it in powdered sugar and keep it simple.