”You have to taste a culture to understand it.”

– Deborah Cater

Valencia orange cake

(Coca de Llanda de naranja)

Step by step baking tutorial

Valencia or Spanish orange cake – soft, spongy, light and with a lot of orange flavour. This delicious cake is easy and simple to make also for beginners in baking. 

Recipe adapted from: https://themediterraneanfork.com/

Serving Size:
–
Time:
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Difficulty:
Easy

Ingredients

  • 300 g (2.4 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 12 g (2.7 tsp) baking powder
  • 4 eggs (room temperature)
  • 180 g (0.9 cups) sugar, plus some for sprinkling on top
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 220 ml (0.9 cups) fresh orange juice
  • 140 ml (0.6 cups) sunflower or olive oil
  • 1 orange peeled and cut in slices
  • zest of 1 orange

Equipment

  • Rectangular baking dish or a cake form (23 cm/ 9″ diameter)

Directions

  1. Set the oven to heat to 180° C or 400° F.
  2. Insert parchment paper in a baking dish or a cake form and oil the bottom and sides of the pan. The batter is quite runny, therefore if using a springform cake pan, I cut the parchment paper bigger than the bottom of the cake form. It will help to prevent the batter from dripping in the oven if anything leaks through the cake form.
  3. Wash the oranges (about 3 to 4 in total needed) and zest 1 of the oranges.
  4. Cut off the remaining peel of the zested orange and cut the orange in slices.
  5. Squeeze the orange juice to get the needed amount.
  6. Mix flour with salt and baking powder.
  7. Break eggs in a separate bowl. Add sugar and beat the eggs and the sugar with a whisk or an electric mixer till they are light and foamy.
  8. While continuing to beat the eggs, gradually add the oil. The batter will become a little thicker, creamier.
  9. Mix in the batter the orange juice and the orange zest.
  10. Sift and mix in the dry ingredients: flour with the salt and baking powder.
  11. Pour the batter in the prepared cake pan.
  12. Arrange the orange slices on top and sprinkle about 3 tbsp of sugar on top.
  13. Bake the cake for about 30 to 40 minutes.
  14. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Check the cake by inserting a toothpick in the middle. If the toothpick comes out dry, the cake is ready. Otherwise bake a little more and check again.
  • If the cake is not ready yet, but the top is getting too brown, put a piece of aluminium foil loosely on top.
  • For best results, measure the ingredients with a scale. All recipes are made with weighted ingredients using grams. Cup measurements are provided for your convenience.