Cranberry and Orange Cake

Over the last few months, I've been trying to get organised around the house. That's included having a mega clear out of 'stuff'.



All different kinds of 'stuff'.



It's been liberating, but there is still a lot around the house (not that I'm a hoarder or anything ...).



So, last week, I decided to weed out the recipes I wanted to keep from a pile of foodie type magazines I'd accumulated. Rediscovering recipes I had forgotten about was fun - and got me back baking again.

This cake is adapted from a recipe I found in an issue of 'Baking Heaven' (the original, though, uses blueberries).



It's a great big comfort blanket of a cake - billowy sweet sponge which shakes you up whenever you hit a cranberry. (Yes, I'm one of those people that love the tingly taste of Haribo Tangfastics).



It's lovely just warm from the oven.



A scoop of vanilla ice cream would seal the deal.

Cranberry and Orange Cake



Ingredients



300g self raising flour

295g caster sugar

2 medium free range eggs

190ml milk

grated zest and juice of one orange

130g butter, melted

200g fresh or frozen cranberries



Preheat the oven to 160 Fan / 180 Conventional / 350 F / Gas 4.



Grease and baseline a 22 cm (9 inch) spring-form pan.

I used a Ruby Orange - love the amazing colour!

Combine all the ingredients (except the cranberries) in a bowl and mix until combined.



Spoon the mixture into the tin, and then top with half the cranberries.

Frozen cranberries - you can add these as is (no need to defrost)

Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes.



Remove (carefully, as the centre will still be soft), and sprinkle over the remaining cranberries (try and spread the cranberries out, and if you can, press them into the surface of the cake a little - I didn't, and so some that simply sat on the top got a little singed!).

Bake for a further 25 - 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.



Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes to cool. Then run a knife around the edge, loosen the spring-form and gently take it off. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

This is quite a generous cake, so should serve 10 people easily. I enjoyed mine this afternoon, alongside a cup of tea, while staring out of the window at apple blossom being drenched with pouring rain. 



In other words, the typical run up to a British Bank Holiday weekend.



Enjoy,