Gateau a l’Orange

A recipe from Françoise Pape. Françoise and I were colleagues as “moral tutors” in a hall of residence at University of Swansea (University of Wales) in 1966-1967. She was the only tutor in our hall who had her own apartment with a kitchen; and because the food in hall was so abominable, we would cook during the weekends at her apartment. She taught me a great deal about cooking. This was her recipe. The cake is simple but moist and delicious.

½ cup sweet butter (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

4 eggs

Rind from 4 large Spanish oranges

Juice of 2 of the Spanish oranges

2 coffee spoons baking powder

Glaze

Juice of the remaining 2 Spanish oranges

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons rum or kirsch

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Butter a 9 inch spring-form pan.
• Grate the rind from the 4 oranges and set aside.
• Squeeze oranges and sieve the juice to remove the pulp.
• Melt butter on a very low heat making sure that it does not cook.
• Beat the eggs and sugar together.
• Add the rind of the 4 oranges and juice of two.
• Add the melted butter.
• Add the flour in small quantities and mix well. The mixture should be as smooth as possible.
• Add the baking powder at the very end.
• Pour into cake pan and bake at 400° F for about 30 minutes.

The Glaze:

• While the cake is baking, make the glaze.
• Put the juice of the remaining 2 oranges into a bowl.
• Add the 2/3 cup sugar and the rum, and mix until the sugar is well dissolved.
• Spread over the hot cake as soon as the cake is removed from the oven, spoonful by spoonful.

Alternatively, if the cake is allowed to cool before it is glazed:

• Lightly prick the top of the cake with a fork.
• Heat the sugar and orange juice. Then add the rum.