Spiced Orange Sponges with Whisky Buttercream
Filled with winter spice flavours, these individual sponges make the perfect treat at any afternoon tea. Makes 4 individual cakes.
For the cakes
INGREDIENTS
75ml milk
2 medium free range eggs
150g self raising flour
75g golden caster sugar
75g soft brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
Juice and zest of ½ an orange
For the Buttercream
125g salted butter, softened
150g icing sugar
1 tbsp whisky
To serve
Zest of ½ an orange
METHOD
Preheat your oven to 190C / 170C Fan / 375F / Gas mark 5.
In a large bowl, beat together the oil, milk and eggs. Mix through the flour, sugars and golden syrup. Add in your spices and orange zest and juice and mix everything together until a smooth batter is formed.
Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper, fill with the cake batter and bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 mins until cooked through. Test with a skewer and if it comes out clean then your cake is cooked. If not, check every two minutes until the skewer is completely clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Whilst the cake cools you can make your buttercream. Beat together your softened butter and icing sugar. Add your whisky and beat together until smooth.
Use a cake cutter to cut out 4 circular servings of the cake. Halve each one horizontally and place each cake bottom onto a plate, fill the centre with a little buttercream then pop on its lid, top with a little more buttercream. Finish with a grating of orange zest and serve.
We serve ours cold, however if you prefer they can be served warm and the buttercream will melt into your sponges.