Orange Liqueur Cake

I have my mother-in-law to thank for this delicious recipe. It is also a favourite of my Dad’s, so considering today is Father’s Day I thought it only fitting to post it. It is quite a dense cake but not dry due to the hot syrup poured over the cake after it comes out of the oven. This is a rather large cake so is perfect for feeding a crowd.

Ingredients

• Desiccated coconut (for preparing the tin)
• 185 gm butter, additional for greasing the tin)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups self raising flour
• 300 ml sour cream
• Zest of one orange, finely grated
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup sugar (additional)
• 1/3 cup orange liqueur
• Whipped cream for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180°c (or 160°c fan forced). Grease and line a spring form tin, greasing again (you can use butter or a neutral oil here). Sprinkle with desiccated coconut.

Cream the butter and the sugar, add egg yolks and beat well.

Add rind. Stir in the flour, alternating with the sour cream in batches.

Beat the egg whites until stiff (I actually do this first so I don’t have to wash out the bowl of my stand mixer and transfer to a seperate bowl).

Fold the egg white gently through the mix. Transfer to the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool before turning out, making sure the bottom of the cake is facing top.

Now make the syrup. Stir together the sugar and orange juice over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, then boil for 2 minutes. Cool for one minute and then add the liqueur. Poor slowly over the hot cake.

Dust with icing sugar and serve when cool.

I know, I know for someone who doesn’t really like sweet things I’ve been posting a few of them lately. But I can tell you my family are really appreciating it, looks like I’ve been depriving them all these years! Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there. Enjoy. Sheryl x