Mary Berry's Spiced Orange Cake: A Festive Delight Ready in 25 Minutes

If you’re looking for a delightful baking project between Christmas and New Year’s, Mary Berry’s spiced orange cake is the perfect choice. This recipe combines zesty oranges with warm spices to create a moist, flavorful cake that’s sure to please a crowd.

Mary Berry describes it as “a fresh, spiced orange cake.” To add a touch of festive charm, she suggests using paper stars as stencils when dusting the cake with icing sugar, but a doily works just as well. For extra indulgence, you can ice the cake as well as use a luscious orange filling to sandwich the layers together.

This recipe serves eight, making it ideal for family gatherings and holiday celebrations.

Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and prepare two 20cm cake tins by greasing them and lining with greaseproof paper. Place a whole orange in a small pan, cover with boiling water, and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender. After cooling, slice the orange in half, remove any seeds, and blitz the entire orange, skin included, until you reach a medium chunky texture.

Reserve two teaspoons of orange pulp for the icing and return the remainder to the food processor. Combine the orange pulp with the other cake ingredients, mixing carefully until smooth—but avoid overmixing. Divide the batter evenly between the two tins and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Once baked, let the cakes cool slightly in the tins before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the orange filling, cream softened butter then gradually mix in sifted icing sugar along with the reserved orange pulp. Use this creamy filling to sandwich the two cake layers together, then finish by lightly dusting the top with icing sugar.

This cake is best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days, making it a convenient and delicious treat for any festive occasion.

Mary Berry’s Spiced Orange Cake: A Festive Delight Ready in 25 Minutes