Torta all’arancia di Sicilian Orange Cake Recipe
Sicilian Orange Cake enjoys both taste and aroma. It fits perfectly during Christmas when the scent of orange spreads throughout the house.
This is not a typical American cake, and therefore you will surprise your guests because of it.
This cake is straightforward to prepare, not as complicated as Panettone, and most importantly, it is less famous than this Italian pastry, although I wonder why?
It will also compose at any time of the year because it is perfectly juicy and, at the same time, very simple and quick to make.
Surprise yourself and your family with this simple idea for sweets.
Do you want to try other recipes from Sicily with oranges?
There are many recipes in Sicilian cuisine where we can taste oranges. On my blog, you will find a delicious and simple Salad of Oranges and Shallots recipe worth trying.
It fits perfectly as an addition to bread or as an addition to poultry.
The Sicilian whole orange cake recipe uses an entire orange, but I feel like making candied oranges peels later when I make an orange salad. Which we can use for various pastries, be it brioche or classic Panettone.
Sicilian Orange Cake is perfect for Christmas, although it may not be as popular as other Italian Christmas cakes. That’s why you can surprise your guests and serve this one.
Where does the Sicilian Orange Cake come from?
The Whole Orange Cake comes from Palermo and is known as PAN D’ARancio or PAN D’ARANCIA. There are different versions of this cake where whole oranges are used. It can be in the grandmother’s version or in the version I do, where it is decorated with entire orange.
I also know that in Sicily, housewives replace some of the flour with corn or potato starch or cacao powder, then you will get an even fluffier cake or a chocolate version.
However, I propose here the classics of the classics.
How to Choose the best ingredients for Sicilian Whole Orange Cake
Oranges: pick the best oranges you can get. You use the whole orange with the peel for the cake, so it would be nice if they were organic without chemicals.
Very sweet oranges are perfect for this cake, but we don’t always know what we are buying, and if we happen to buy less sweet ones, just more sugar for the cake.
For the Sicilian Whole Orange Cake, I recommend, of course, varieties of Sicilian oranges e.g. mandarin oranges. They are characterized by thin skin, and you can also meet with red flesh inside, making this orange cake even more enjoyable.
All purpose flour: you can use any wheat flour you have, as long as it is sifted before use to make it fluffier.
I wouldn’t replace the flour with almond or coconut flour with these proportions, but I can’t say I didn’t think about this cake version with these ingredients. You certainly can’t use the same amount.
More suggestions with almond flour cakes
I would be more inclined to use almond flour because it is very similar to the Apple cake by Natalia, where I used almond flour. You can also bake this one.
When I tested this cake, one of your opinions was: I can feel it is healthy and tasty. And it’s true because there are only natural ingredients here.
Almond flour you can find:
Amaretto cake with coffee cream recipe
This is another variation of an interesting cake with my favorite Italian addition of amaretto liqueur and a coffee flavor that Italians love.
Cane sugar: gives a delicate caramel flavor, it is not spectacularly perceptible, but it fits perfectly with oranges.
Butter: you can replace this fat with, for example, coconut oil and vegetable oil at the same value, but for me, the taste of butter is unique because I like French cuisine, and butter reigns there.
Fat should be at room temperature.
Eggs: we choose the big-sized eggs and the best you can have. Or if you have fewer, you can use three pieces, which will be a good choice.
Eggs should be at room temperature.
Baking powder: it is essential in the orange cake recipe. It cannot be omitted because it moistens the Sicilian orange loaf.
How to store Sicilian Orange Cake
This cake is so delicious that it disappears from the table very quickly. However, if you want to prepare them for a show (the Christmas season is an example), you can store the cake in an airtight container for about a week.
You do not need to store this cake in the fridge; an airtight container is enough to keep it fresh.
This baking is perfect when we need time, and we want to prepare for some celebrations in advance, or we like to have such sweetness at home for longer.
Tips and Tricks for Moist Sicilian Orange Cake
- To enhance the taste and smell of oranges, add one grated apple to the dough and then replace it with one orange.
- You can add spices like ground cloves or cinnamon to the dough.
- You can use orange juice for the orange glaze or bake Pumpkin Orange Muffins.
In this cake, we use whole oranges, but if you ever have excess orange peels, don’t throw them away because you can use them and make candied oranges peels.
To spice up the cake, you can add dark chocolate chips, which can also improve the taste better.
If using a food processor, in the last batch where you add the drained orange pieces, mix with a spoon or on low speed to preserve the orange structure.
So how to make a Sicilian Whole Orange Cake recipe?
The cake is very simple and always works. It will work even for those who start their adventure with baking.
Sicilian Orange Cake recipe is an amazingly moist, easy cake.
Let’s do it with the best cake recipe!
Sicilian Whole Orange Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 pieces oranges
- 7 oz all purpose flour
- 7 oz cane or granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 oz butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon optional
- 1.2 tsp groung cloves optional
- pinch of nutmeg optional
Instructions
- I often use a food processor/stand mixer to make cakes, but this it is so simple you can make it with a spoon and a large bowl which will be perfect for the mix.
- If you use dough making machines, use medium speed for practically the whole dough, only after adding puree orange do you reduce the speed to the lowest. Those who use machines cook faster.
- We don't have the opportunity to get oranges straight from the tree, so it's worth ensuring they are as healthy as possible when we use them for Sicilian Orange Cake.
- Scrub the oranges thoroughly under cold running water. I use a natural bristle brush for this, which cleans best. Then, scald the washed oranges to finally get rid of the rest of the germs and chemicals.
- We leave one orange on top of the cake and grate the peel from the rest (we can do it with a fine grater or a special zest). You do this before peeling the orange from the white skin called albedo. I like to eat it because it contains a whole range of minerals, vitamins, and pectin. However, I don't recommend adding it to the dough because it can taste bitter.
- Then, peel each whole orange, remove the white pith, and place it in a strainer. The orange mixture needs just a few minutes to drain excess orange juice.
- You can use orange juice for the orange glaze or drink it or bake Pumpkin Orange Muffins.
- Start mixing the butter and sugar until fluffy in a bowl, then add the eggs one at a time. Once the fluffy mass has absorbed the eggs, add the rest dry ingredients (be sure to sift the flour with baking powder to give it lightness).
- We add grated orange peel and drained orange puree at the end. Mix everything thoroughly with a spoon. The orange pieces mustn't be too smooth puree because I like how we feel these oranges in this orange cake.
- If you are using a food processor, it is important to do this at the lowest speed. I like the delicately perceptible pieces of orange in the dough; only this treatment guarantees it.
- The ingredients fit perfectly into the cake's round springform pan with a diameter 8-9 inches.
- Now prepare the cake pan. Put parchment paper on the bottom of the baking tray, grease the bottom with fat, and sprinkle with a cane or granulated sugar. Arrange the orange slices as you like. I put them around and put one in the middle.
- Pour the dough onto a springform pan and put it in the oven.
- Pour the previous cake mixture and bake in a preheated oven to 180°C/350°F/ Gas mark 4s for about 40 minutes for the so-called dry stick. I always use a wooden skewer stick for this.
- After baking, carefully remove the cake pan, put a plate or cake stand where we will lay out the cake, and turn it over so that the orange slices are on top.
- If you want to sprinkle the cake with icing sugar, wait until let it cool completely, then, this treatment will give sweetness and beautifully decorate the cake.
- This little treatment gives an amazing visual effect in a whole orange cake recipe.
