Orange blossom & marmalade cakes

Makes 6 small flower-shaped bundt cakes (or 1 classic 1kg/2lb bundt)

The quadruple orange dose in these cakes—in the form of fresh orange, orange marmalade, orange blossom water and orange syrup—gives them the most delicious smell. The soft, slightly crumbly texture and bright orange flavor make them not only a good companion for tea or coffee, but also a great dessert to end a meal. I love to fill the center of the bundts with rich Greek yogurt and an extra teaspoon of marmalade, but you can have them just as they are.

For the cake batter

200g unsalted butter, at room temperature

250g granulated sugar

seeds from ½ vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract

zest of 1 orange

60g ground almonds

4 eggs

200g all-purpose flour

60g semolina

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of table salt

60g whole orange marmalade (here)

2 tsp orange blossom water

For the syrup

juice of 1–2 oranges (about 60g/ml)

150g granulated sugar

100g water

1 tbsp orange blossom water

Preheat the oven to 375°F/350°F convection. With this cake I advise using old-fashioned metal bundt tins, as the crust that forms is great and you will get a lovely shape for the cakes. Lightly grease the tins with butter spray, or lightly butter and flour them if you prefer.

I use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment to make the batter, but if you don’t have one, you can make it by hand. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, orange zest and almonds together until they start to fluff up and stick to the sides of the bowl, but don’t overwork or allow the mixture to go white. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully combined before adding the next. Then add the flour, semolina, baking powder, salt, marmalade and orange blossom water and combine to a nice, even consistency. Take care to not over-mix, as this can result in a tougher texture that isn’t as nice to eat.

Pipe or spoon the batter into the tins—you end up with about 150g in each (or use a single large bundt tin). For the small cakes, bake for 10 minutes, then turn the tins around and leave for a further 10–12 minutes until just set to the touch. They will firm up later, so don’t be tempted to leave them in the oven for longer. (If you are using a large bundt, it will need an additional 15–20 minutes until it is set.)

While the cakes are baking, mix the orange juice, sugar and water together in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Skim any impurities that form on top and continue boiling for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and add the orange blossom water.

As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, brush generously with the syrup and allow to soak in. Repeat until you have used all the syrup. Don’t be tempted to leave any—it may look like a lot but it will be absorbed and make the cakes like little syrupy rum babas (without the rum). Flip the tins as soon as you can handle touching them and gently release the cakes onto a wire cooling rack. These keep well for up to 3 days (because of the syrup) and are best kept at room temperature, rather than in the fridge.

If you fancy my serving idea, fill the center of each cake with Greek yogurt and a touch of marmalade. Alternatively, simply serve the yogurt on the side.