Moroccan Orange Cake w/ Candied Oranges
This Moroccan Orange Cake consists of eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, all-purpose flour, baking powder, orange juice/zest, and vanilla extract. It's a relatively simple cake that's far more beginner-friendly than it appears! Cake-making can be an incredibly daunting task. They're so delicate and there are so many things that can go wrong. I. even had a backup plan in case catastrophe happened. Although this cake turned out perfectly! And, if it worked for me during all of the chaos of making every other dish this holiday season? It's likely a safe bet for you as well!
Equipment
- Zester
- Bundt Pan (or tube pan)
- Whisk (or mixer)
- Oven
Ingredients
Moroccan Orange Cake
- 4 eggs
- 1½ c. sugar granulated
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 2 c. all-purpose flour (plus extra for coating pan)
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 c. orange juice (~1½ oranges)
- 2 tsp. orange zest (~1 orange)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Candied Orange Slices
- 4 slices orange
- 1 c. sugar granulated
- 1 c. water
- 2 tbsp. orange juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
Moroccan Orange Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly grease and flour the cake pan.
- Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and thick.You can do this by hand with a whisk or with a handheld or standing mixer. It'll take about 5-7 minutes by hand and 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Gradually whisk in oil a couple of tablespoons at a time, until fully incorporated.
- Fold in flour, baking powder, and salt. Do not overmix at this point!
- Gently stir in orange juice, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the cake has set.You should be able to poke a toothpick into the center and have it just about come out cleanly (you're looking for that point where it's not wet, but also doesn't come out completely clean, which can be an indicator that it's over baked!)
- Gently remove from the cake form and let cool to the touch.
Candied Orange Slices
- Slice the oranges to 1/8th-inch thick, or as thinly as you can evenly cut them.
- Add the sugar, water, and orange juice to a saucepan. Stir constantly and bring to a simmer.
- After the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup has begun to simmer, add the orange slices.
- Continue to simmer the orange slices for at least 15 minutes. Making sure to rotate at least once during the cooking process.You can simmer the oranges anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more. I tend to simmer mine for about 30 minutes and use them as a garnish. Although you can simmer them for longer if you want more crystallization on the oranges. If you simmer them down for long enough, they'll become edible. I don't necessarily want to eat orange rinds and use these more as a garnish in most scenarios. This is possible, though! And, if you have enough patience, is a viable option.
- The sugar water leftover is also ostensibly how you make simple syrup. So, if you simmer the oranges for lesser amount of time or add more sugar and water to the mixture. You can drizzle this over the cake or use it to make a complimentary cocktail.
- Arranging the candied oranges on the cake is all a matter of personal preference. You can place them anywhere you like. Personally, I cut a little slice halfway through the orange slice and then fan out each ends just created in opposite directions. This creates that swirl effect. Although you can do whatever you like with them!
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
- This recipe didn't specify what kind of flour. When it doesn't state the exact type, I default to all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, etcetera. Since this is a cake, you can likely use pastry flour or cake flour for this. Although, it was perfectly