French Poached Orange Cake - Unpeeled Journal

A simple, chic French orange cake recipe that's super moist and topped with oranges poached in gingered sugar syrup. Guaranteed to brighten up winter.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Servings: 8 to 10 people (1 x 9" cake

Calories: 351kcal

Ingredients

For the Simple Syrup

▢ 1 cup sugar
▢ 1 cup cold water

For the Cake

▢ 4 medium ripe oranges, preferably a variety such as Cara Cara, navel, and blood orange
▢ 1 stick (4 ounces; 1/4 pound) unsalted butter, softened
▢ 1/2 cup sugar
▢ 2 eggs
▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
▢ 2 teaspoons freshly-grated ginger, from a 2" knob of fresh ginger (peeled), or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions

For the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8" round cake pan.
Zest and juice one orange. You should have a shallow 1/2 cup of juice. If you are short, add more juice, or even water, until you reach just shy of 1/2 cup.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter until fluffy and light. Scrape the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla, orange zest, and grated ginger. Mix on medium until smooth and lightened. Scrape the bowl
Add the baking powder, salt, and flour. Mix just until fully combined. Stir in the orange juice just until smooth.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean and the top of the cake springs back gently.
Let the cake cool for about 5 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack, then back again right-side up onto a cake plate.
PRO TIP: Run an offset spatula or a knife around the rim of the cake to loosen the sides from the cake pan before inverting.

For the Poached Oranges and to Finish

While the cake bakes, slice the top and bottom from each orange, then use a sharp paring knife or serrated blade to cut the rind off the sides of the orange, so you have peeled, whole oranges. Then cut each orange horizontally into 1/4-inch slices.
PRO TIP: To cut the rind from the orange, cut the top and bottom from each orange. Sit the orange on a cutting board and slice downward from top to bottom, following the natural curve of the orange. Rotate the orange and slice downward until you have gone all the way around the orange. It should take about 5 or 6 cuts total to go all the way around.
Bring 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil in a small pot, along with any leftover ginger. Lower to a simmer. Add the oranges (you may have to do this in a couple of batches) and cook at a very low simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Remove the orange slices with a slotted spoon and drain them on a cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch the dripping syrup. Reserve the the syrup, continuing to steep it with the ginger as it cools.

To Finish

Poke numerous holes all over the surface of the cake with a fork, as though you were docking a pie dough. Spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of orange syrup onto the surface of the cake.
Arrange the orange slices on top of the cake, pressing them very close together. You may have to trim the oranges into halves or small wedges to fill out the edges.
Spoon an additional 1/4 to 1/3 cup of syrup over the orange slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.