The simplest Orange Cake made the Haitian way and with lots of love. A simple cake just needs love and healthy ingredients. I often hear people saying that a cake can be baked with any types of ingredients. I totally disagree.
Not all brands are the same, and not all ingredients are surely the same. Take this aromatic cake, for example, if the “proper” ingredients are not added at the right time, the taste will not be the same.
Calling this recipe the Simple Orange Cake fits the name. Flour, baking powder, sugar, butter, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and Rum Barbancourt are all you need. And of course an oven! Almost forgot about that one! LOL. Add your love and patience to mix the ingredients, and you have a wonderful and delicious cake.
For this particular recipe, I used a good flour brand, organic sugar, brown eggs, and homemade vanilla extract. You don’t necessarily have to make it the exact way, but it is worth a try. The taste and texture are slightly different, and the cake is lighter and softer.
Although I have made this several times before, I added extra love to this one; it was a huge success when I had a few friends over this past Labor Day!
One particular guest said the cake was very light and not that sweet. I guess by adding organic sugar instead of regular sugar it made a difference. With men, it is so interesting to see them eat and just keep nodding their heads. LOL
I don’t know if it is a Haitian thing, but the guys are not very talkative when they’re eating food they like. All they say, “it’s good,” “what else can I say, it’s good!” And with a smile of course! I guess I need to be satisfied with that.
Haitian people love adding their favorite Rum Barbancourt in their desserts because of its smooth taste. Trust me it makes a huge difference. And I am sure I have said it a few times before, even the several well-known chefs prefer to use it in their cooking.
So try it today and please feel free to share.
Enjoy,
Simple Orange Cake (Haitian Gateau a L’orange)
Ingredients
- 2 stick unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 3/4 cup sifted flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon rum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a mixer bowl, whip the butter and sugar to a cream.
- Add the eggs one at a time and missing well after each addition. Add the orange zest, then the sifted flour with the baking powder alternating with the orange juice. Add the vanilla extract and the rum. Mix well and on high speed for about 1 minute.
- Pour the cake batter into a buttered and floured 10 inch pan or 10 inch tin tube. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or when a cake tester or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and let cool covered with a kitchen towel. Remove from pan, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
I never made this before but I made it for a class project for my daughter and people loved it! I actually made this a few days in advance and kept it in the fridge. It actually tasted better a few days later! This was delicious and my daughter has requested to make it again for our home. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Oh, I did want to mention I omitted the rum. I don’t think the school would have liked me to put that in there lol. Still tasted amazing!
Hi KC! Thanks so much for your comment. I’m glad you tried the cake and loved it. Next time you make it and want to omit the rum, you can replace it with orange extract. It works great as well.