Orange Cream Cake

The orange cream cake is a fresh and delicious sweet, perfect to enjoy as a dessert or for a refined snack. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

For the base

• 200 g of all-purpose flour
• 100 g of cold butter cut into cubes
• 80 g of powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• A pinch of salt

For the orange cream

• 250 ml of fresh orange juice (about 2-3 oranges)
• The grated zest of 1 orange (make sure to use untreated oranges)
• 100 g of sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 25 g of cornstarch
• 50 g of butter

Preparation

1. Start with the cake base: in a bowl, mix the flour with the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the butter and work the mixture with your fingertips until it has a sandy consistency.
2. Add the egg and quickly work to form a dough ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. Roll out the dough into a thin layer and line a buttered cake pan, prick the bottom with a fork and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 20 minutes, or until the base is golden. Allow to cool.
4. For the orange cream, whisk the yolks with the sugar until you get a light and fluffy mixture. Add the cornstarch and mix until there are no lumps.
5. Heat the orange juice with the grated zest in a saucepan until it starts to simmer. Remove the zest with a strainer and then slowly pour it onto the yolks, stirring constantly.
6. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the cream thickens. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter, stirring until fully absorbed.
7. Pour the cream over the cake base and let it cool completely. Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

If you want to add an Italian touch, you can garnish the cake with toasted slivered almonds or crumbled amaretti to add crunchiness and a contrast of flavors.

Enjoy your meal!