Recipe: Orange Sponge Cake

Lately, I’ve been on a citrus kick.

It could be because my mother passed away in January and I’ve been thinking of happy times with her while growing up.

I was blessed to be raised in a Christian family and have a loving family that attended church regularly.

One particularly older memory I have is when our family of five (Dad, Mom, my sisters and me) drove our station wagon to Orlando, Florida for vacation.

This was in the early 1970s and it was our first trip to the Sunshine State.

As we crossed the state line, we saw a billboard for a rest stop. Dad pulled the car in and we hopped out, only to be greeted by people who encouraged each visitor — no matter their ages — to sip a free glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

We had always had the frozen variety in our home. The rich fullness of the orange pulp was new to me. I thought what I was drinking was not the oranges we had back home in the Midwest, but an entirely different fruit!

That woke me to the validity of using fresh products when possible.

As a working mom, I was not always able to take the time to squeeze fruit for the juice.

Now, I’m anxious to indulge in this nutritious delicacy.

After purchasing a bag each of oranges and lemons at the grocery, I spent Saturday morning baking a variety of treats: cake, tarts, cookies and a pie — all made with these natural citrusy ingredients.

My kitchen smelled great before, during and after the baking process. Each item was so full of flavor and aroma, it was like being in lemon and orange orchards!

Recipes for the other items will be forthcoming.

Suffice it to say, this orange sponge cake has a luscious in-your-face flavor that will make you smile.

The recipe is from the Trinity E. U.B. Church Ladies Aid Society of Decatur Indiana cookbook published in 1955.

I will definitely be making this cake again with its handful of ingredients and maximum taste!

See My Notes at the bottom for a couple of changes I’d suggest.

Orange Sponge Cake

3 eggs separated

¼ t. cream of tartar

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. orange juice

Beat whites of eggs with t. cream of tartar until stiff.

Add yolks, 1 at a time, beating well between each addition.

Gradually add sugar and orange juice.

Mix in the following sifted together:

1 ¼ c. pastry flour

1 ½ t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

Add to egg mixture.

Bake in 2 greased layer cake tins at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Let cool.

Mix in top of double boiler:

¼ c. sugar

1 ½ T. flour

2 t. grated orange rind

½ c. orange juice

¼ t. salt

2 t. butter

1 egg yolk

Cook until thick and smooth.

Add 1 t. lemon juice & spread between layers.

Frost with Seven Minute Icing (I don’t have a recipe for this).

Sprinkle 2 t. grated orange rind on top.

My Notes:

1. In my opinion this cake was sweet enough without adding an icing. I simply added whipped cream.
2. Bakeangel.com suggests this substitution if you don’t have pastry flour:

To 1 cup of all-purpose flour remove 1 T. of flour, adding 1 T. corn starch. Double sift to fully combine the ingredients.

3. Stir constantly the orange mixture on the stove to prevent it from burning.

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