6" round baking tin greased and lined with baking parchment paper
Ingredients
2orangeslarge
125gbuttersoftened
125gsoft light brown sugar
2large eggs
125gself raising flour
1/2tspground ginger
1/2tspground cinnamon
1/2tspground cardamom
1/2tspground nutmeg
1tspvanilla extract
1tbspDemerara sugar or more soft light brown sugar
2tbsporange juicefrom one of the oranges above
1glacé cherryoptional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180c (Gas 4).
Zest one of the oranges and set the zest aside in a small dish. Squeeze 2 tablespoons worth of juice from the zested orange (any more you can drink!). Slice the other orange, with zest still intact, into 4mm slices and cut these into half moon pieces.
For The Sponge Cake
Beat the softened butter into the sugar then gradually beat in the eggs and orange zest. Stir the spices into the flour and beat into the batter one third at a time. Finally add the vanilla extract and orange juice and beat until just smooth.
With the cake tin lined with paper, scatter over a tablespoon of demerara sugar. Next place the orange slices on the sugary paper adding the glacé cherry in the centre (if using) then spoon the batter evenly over the top.
Bake for around 25 minutes. Cool in the tin slightly before turning out onto a wire rack. Peel off the paper whilst still warm.