Mini Orange Sponge Cake

Ingredients

• 250 g unrefined golden caster sugar
• 250 g butter (unsalted)
• 4 eggs (medium)
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 250 g self-raising white flour
• 300 g icing sugar (cream)
• 150 g butter (unsalted) (softened) (cream)
• 0.5 tsp orange blossom water (cream)
• 100 g icing sugar (icing)
• 1 orange (zest and juice) (icing)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C, gas mark 4), and grease and base line a 12 hole loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. (We used a tin from Lakeland).
2. Place the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and cream together until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs one by one beating well in between each addition, then add the orange blossom.
3. Finally carefully fold in the flour until evenly mixed.
4. Spoon the batter into the cake tin until each hole is 2/3 full. Then place in the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the sponges are golden brown and springy to the touch.
5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool then use a small round ended knife to loosen the sponge from the side of the tin, then carefully remove each sponge from the tin and leave to cool on a cooling wire.
6. To make the buttercream place the icing sugar and butter in a bowl and start slowly beating together, then turn the speed up and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the orange blossom water and beat again.
7. When the cakes are cool cut each one in half widthways and spread a layer of buttercream on the bottom half of each one then place the lid on top.
8. To make the icing place the icing sugar in a small bowl and add enough of the orange juice to get an icing with a thick pouring consistency. Drizzle a bit of the icing over each cake, letting it dribble over the edge. Finally sprinkle some orange zest on top to decorate.