Ginger, orange and sultana cake recipe

This ginger, orange and sultana cake recipe is deliciously fruity and easy to make. We think this ginger orange sponge is a good bake for first-time bakers to try - tasty and impressive to serve to family and friends, but doesn't involve lots of fiddly work in the kitchen. The sponge is packed full of juicy oranges and chunky sultanas - both ingredients you are likely to have in the store cupboard so you won't have to spend hours preparing! We think it's a good way to encourage the kids to eat a slightly healthier cake as well, rather than always opting for the chocolate loaf!

Ingredients

• 1 medium orange
• 200g (7oz) plain flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1tbsp ground ginger
• 4 large eggs
• 110g (4oz) dark brown sugar
• 1tbsp treacle
• 200ml (7fl oz) mild and light olive oil
• 110g (4oz) sultanas

Method

1. Put the orange into a pan, cover with water then bring to the boil, simmer for 30-40 mins until the orange is tender. Drain and cool.
2. Cut the orange into quarters and remove the pulp, then roughly chop the peel and put into a blender or processor and blend to a rough textured pulp.
3. Sieve the flour, baking powder and ginger together.
4. Grease and line a 20cm (8in) spring-form cake tin. Heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF or gas 4.
5. Put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and beat together with an electric beater until the mixture becomes thick and frothy and paler in colour. Add the orange pulp and treacle, blend in, then gradually beat in the olive oil.
6. Fold in the flour mixture and sultanas then turn into the prepared tin, bake for 40-45 mins until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.
7. Remove from the tin and cool on a rack.