Pan d'arancia

Orange Bread (Pan d’arancia) is a delicious dessert typical of Sicily, with an intense fragrance of oranges. Here is how to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 3 organic untreated oranges
• 300 grams of sugar
• 300 grams of all-purpose flour
• 100 grams of melted butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 packet of baking powder
• Powdered sugar (for decoration)

Preparation

1. Wash the oranges and grate the zest of two of them, making sure not to include the white part, which is bitter. Then, squeeze the juice from all three oranges.

2. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is frothy and light.

3. Add the cooled melted butter to the mixture of eggs and sugar and mix well.

4. Incorporate the grated zest and the juice of the oranges into the mixture.

5. Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder, mixing gently until the dough is smooth and without lumps.

6. Pour the mixture into a previously buttered and floured mold.

7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

8. Remove the Orange Bread from the oven and let it cool before unmolding.

9. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Curiosity

Orange Bread is a dessert that celebrates the richness of Sicilian citrus. Particularly, in the areas where blood oranges are produced, such as around Mount Etna, finding variations of this recipe that include this specific type of citrus is common, giving the dessert an even more intense color and flavor.