Recipes

Tortine all’arancia

Name: Tortine all’arancia
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 320g (11oz) unwaxed organic oranges (about 2 medium oranges); 120g (4¼oz) egg (about 2 large eggs); 80g (¼ cup plus 2 tbsp) vegetable oil (preferably corn or sunflower); 80g (¼ cup plus 2 tbsp) whole milk; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste; 250g (1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp) soft wheat 00 flour or plain (all-purpose) flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 250g (1½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar; 1/8 tsp salt; 50g (generous 1/3 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar; Peel and juice of 1 unwaxed organic orange, to decorate

Orange Cupcakes

Nut-free, Sweet

Exceptionally flavourful orange cupcakes that are surprisingly simple and quick to make, yet bursting with deliciousness!

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Ingredients

Introduction

Ingredients

Preparation time: less than 15 minutes

Total baking time: 25–27 minutes

320g (11oz) unwaxed organic oranges (about 2 medium oranges)
120g (4¼oz) egg (about 2 large eggs)
80g (¼ cup plus 2 tbsp) vegetable oil (preferably corn or sunflower)
80g (¼ cup plus 2 tbsp) whole milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
250g (1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp) soft wheat 00 flour or plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tsp baking powder
250g (1½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
1/8 tsp salt
50g (generous 1/3 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar
peel and juice of 1 unwaxed organic orange, to decorate

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Introduction

Tortine all’arancia are inspired by pan d’arancio, an orange-flavoured cake originally from Sicily. They are arguably the easiest and quickest treat I have ever learnt to bake. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare the batter, which is made entirely in a food processor: there is nothing to peel, whip or pipe so you will be left with very little washing-up too.

The recipe is another one that is ideal for younger or less-experienced bakers to tackle, but do not be fooled: despite being super-simple to make, these cupcakes are extraordinarily flavoursome. The high orange juice content gives the crumb unparalleled softness, and the peel gives it a kick that is both moreish and sophisticated. Your kitchen will smell amazing while baking these little treats! Tortine all’arancia can be prepared in advance and even frozen, so they are ideal for picnics or an afternoon with friends.

Instructions

Set the shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 180°C static (350°F/Gas mark 4). Line a 12-hole muffin tray with muffin cases.
Wash and dry the oranges, then slice off the top and bottom ends. Dice the rest roughly, place them in the bowl of a food processor and blitz to a pulp. Add the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla to the same bowl and blitz again at high speed for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous. Add the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and give it a short final blitz just to incorporate the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, if necessary.
Spoon or pour the batter in the muffin cases, filling them to two-thirds full (an ice-cream scoop is ideal for this) then bake for 25–27 minutes or until the tops are a deep golden colour and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Take the cupcakes out of the oven and leave them to cool slightly. Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with 2 teaspoons of orange juice to make a simple glaze; if too thick, add a third teaspoon of juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cupcakes with a spoon. Slice the peel in thin strips and scatter them over the cupcakes before the glaze sets. Tortine all’arancia keep for 3–4 days under a cake dome, or they can be frozen for up to a month.

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