If I could do this all over again (not too sure if I would considering that I’m up to my neck in camcorder reviews), I would make a couple of changes to my adapted recipe below. For starters, I want a more intense tangy flavour to the cake. The recipe below called for a very mild citrus cake that was neither flavoursome or sweet. Disappointing really although it could be salvaged with some frosting. But I’m not a frosting fan, so more orange-lemon flavour in the form of an increase in the amount of grated zest. I’d go for two small lemons and one entire orange. I would also stick to the recommended amount of sugar called for in the recipe – that a full 3/4 cups plus 5 tablespoons (or maybe omit two to three tablespoons) but I definitely would not replace caster sugar with brown sugar. Reason being that as I was creaming the butter, I could see melted brown sugar collecting below the sugar-butter mixture.

A note though – the cake doesn’t keep very well unless stored immediately in an airtight container – so best to eat it fresh. Perhaps with a cup of tea and a drizzle of either marmalade jam/glaze or honey.

Lemon-orange cake
Adapted from Exclusively Foods’s Lemon and orange cake

1 1/4 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter
Slightly less than 3/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
Finely grated zest from one small lemon and half an orange
4 tablespoons (80ml) citrus juice (we use 2 tablespoons orange juice and 2 tablespoons lemon juice)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (150 degrees Celsius fan-forced).
2. Grease the side and base of a 20cm diameter (inside top measurement) round cake pan. We use a springform pan for easy removal of the cake. Line base and side of the pan with non-stick baking paper.
3. Using an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters, beat butter and sugar until very pale and creamy. This could take up to 20 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a few minutes after each addition. Don’t rush the addition of the eggs as the mixture will be more likely to separate and develop a curdled appearance. Add the zest with the last egg.
5. Add half the flour and stir until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour. Mix in juice.
6. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly.
7. Bake for about 50-55 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife or wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The cake should spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.
8. Store in an airtight container. Best eaten on the day it’s made.