Aperol and orange cake recipe

Our Aperol and orange cake is a great way to combine the fresh flavours of the nations new favourite tipple with a classic sponge cake. This Aperol and orange cake is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea in the garden on a sunny day or a lovely pudding at a summer barbecue. This tasty combination of cake and cocktail - an orange spirit mixer drink that is now available to install as a tap in the kitchen - is an impressive bake that will be a definitely talking point amongst friends and family.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 6 eggs
• 350g baking margarine or butter
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 1tsp baking powder
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 350g self-raising flour
• 4tbsp Aperol

For the filling and decoration

• 600ml double cream
• 1tbsp icing sugar
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 6tbsp strawberry jam
• 200g strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 7g tube freeze-dried strawberry pieces
• 5tbsp orange curd
• orange zest

You will need

• 2 x 20cm cake tins, greased and lined
• Piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. To make the cake, put the eggs, margarine, sugar, baking powder, orange zest and juice and the sieved flour in a large bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer until soft and creamy. Divide equally between the cake tins and spread level. Bake them for 25-30 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Turn them out and pierce several times with a skewer, then drizzle over the Aperol. Cool completely on a wire rack.
2. To decorate, whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract, until just thick enough to form soft peaks.
3. Put one of the cakes on a cake stand or serving plate and spread half the jam over the top. Arrange half of the sliced strawberries over the top and dollop on a quarter of the cream. Top with the rest of the strawberries. Spread the remaining jam on the other cake and use to sandwich together.
4. Spread the rest of the cream over the cake’s sides. Put the freeze-dried strawberries down the centre of a piece of baking parchment. Carefully lift up the cake, hold between the palms of your hands, then roll the sides in the freeze-dried strawberries to cover. Return the cake to the stand or plate.
5. Pipe cream around the top edge of the cake. Spoon the orange curd into the centre and decorate with orange zest.