Orange and Lemon Sponge Cake Recipe (2024)

2 Reviews

Remember watching Nadiya Hussain create her majesty's cake recipe on Great British Bake Off to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday? Well, this is the exact recipe!

A light, dreamy sponge with a fresh citrus hint, with both oranges and lemons bringing the zing. The orange makes a cameo in the sweet buttercream and drizzle, giving it a fun, fruity twist to your classic Victoria sponge recipe. Subtle lavender coloured fondant icing delicately drips down this celebration cake, a technique that is simple but effective to achieve.

Each bite of this cake is equally as tasty as it is beautiful.

Looking for more GBBO inspired recipes? Try out Luis Troyano's carrot and cardamon cake, or Richard Burr's blackcurrant macarons.

1. Step 1:

   For the cake, line and grease 2 x 20cm spring form tins. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C. Add all the ingredients to a bowl one by one then, using a handheld or stand mixer, mix everything together for 3 minutes till you have a smooth batter.

2. Step 2:

   Divide the mixture between two tins and level off the tops. Bake for 1½ hours to 1¾ hours, but check it after 1 ¼ hours as it will depend on your oven.

3. Step 3:

   While the cakes are cooking you can get on and make the buttercream and drizzles. To make the buttercream, add the butter to a mixing bowl and mix on high for 2 minutes. Add the icing sugar a little at a time and mix on a medium speed. Add the milk and orange zest and mix on a high speed for 3 minutes until you have a light and fluffy buttercream.

4. Step 4:

   When the cakes are golden brown, with a slight peak at the top, and a skewer inserted comes out clean, they are ready. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin. Turn out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Cut the domed tops off both sponges and level them off. Carefully slice both cakes across into two, giving you four sponges.

5. Step 5:

   To make the orange drizzle, add the orange juice and sugar to a jug and mix well. The sugar will not dissolve completely. Spoon the mixture equally over the 4 sponges.

6. Step 6:

   Lay the four sponges out, making sure that one of the two with crusts faces down and one faces up. Then generously cover the top and side of each with the buttercream. Put the crust-side-down slice on a cake base or plate then carefully place the other layers on top, finishing with the crust-side-up slice. Place the whole cake in the fridge or in a cool place for about 15-20 minutes until the buttercream has crusted over.

7. Step 7:

   Now make the fondant drizzle. Add the grated fondant and water to a pan and heat on low to medium, stirring continuously, until it has melted and become and liquid. Add the food colouring a little at a time until you have a vibrant purple colour. Transfer into a bowl and leave to cool completely. Add a drop or two of cold water to loosen if needed.

8. Step 8:

   Pour the cold purple fondant over the top of the cake, drizzling it gently down the sides. Then finish off the decoration by brushing the tips of the sugar paste roses with edible glue and dipping them in glitter. Arrange them in a crescent shape around one edge of the top of the cake. Or simply decorate it using real white roses.

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