A real classic: Orange Cake from Fryslân, an area in the north of the Netherlands. This Orange Cake dates back to the 18th century! This pastry thanks its name to the candied orange incorporated in the dough. Besides that, this sweet is/was mostly baked in Fryslân in the cities where the King and his family, who had the French principality of Orange, stayed over.
Normally this pastry is topped with pink glaze, but due to its name & the fact that’s Kingsday today I made it orange 🙂 If you serve the pastry, you can top it with either whipped cream or buttercream. If you prefer buttercream: whip up 150 grams of butter (room temperature) or about 3/4 cup. Then add about 200 gram powdered sugar (1 1/2 cup), vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Whip the butter until it is white, light and fluffy.
And when celebrating a party, drinks can not be forgotten 😉 So to serve with this pastry, I made this special orange drink! How to?
- Add some ice cubes to a wineglass
- Pour in 1/2 shot (or more) of Cointreau and add a few springs of thyme
- Mix it until the glass is cold
- Top with Prosecco!
Orange Cakes from ‘Fryslân’
Equipment
- Non-Stick Traybake/Brownie Tin (7.8×7.8inches or 20x20cm)
- Baking Paper
- 3 Bowl
- Food Processor
- Electric Mixer
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Pastry Brush
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 120 gram Candied Orange
- 70 gram Butter
- 120 gram Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp Anise seeds
- 350 gram Selfraising Flour or 320 gram of Oat Flour and 1,5 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Grapefruit optional
- 7 tbsp Water
Almond Filling
- 150 gram Blanched Almonds
- 50 gram Sugar
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Eggwhite
Topping
- Egg Yolk
- 175 gram Powdered Sugar
- Food Coloring
- Water
- Cream
- Candied Orange
- Lemon Thyme
Instructions
Preparations
- Chop the candied orange into small cubes.
- Add some baking paper to the brownie tin and grease it slightly with some butter.
- Preheat the oven on 160 degrees Celcius or 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Dough
- Whisk the butter until light and airy. Then, while whisking, you can add the sugar spoon by spoon. Once all the sugar is added, you can break an egg into the bowl. Mix everything and then add the flour, pinch of salt, zest of ½ grapefruit, anise seeds and water.
- Place the dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
The Almond Filling
- Make the almonds filling by mixing the almonds and sugar in the foodprocessor. Once the almonds are crumbled, you can add the butter, eggwhite, juice and zest of one lemon.
Assembling the Pastry
- Divide the dough in two equal parts. Use a rolling pin to flathen the dough until it equals the size of the brownie tin. Add a layer of dough to the brownie tin, whereafter you spread the almond filling on top. Finish the pastry with the other layer of dough.
- Use the pastry brush to glaze it with the egg yolk. Bake the pastry for about 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven.
Topping
- Mix the powdered sugar with food coloring. Then add some water, by teaspoon, until you have a thick glaze.
- Top the cooled down cake with glaze. Once serving, you can finish it with some cream, candied orange and lemon thyme. If you prefer to prepare the finishing touches, you can also top the cake with buttercream.