Whole Orange Cake

Got a slightly wrinkly orange on the bench? Don’t bin it - bake it! This simple, one-bowl orange cake is all about celebrating the whole fruit (yeeeep, even the skin) and making sure nothing tasty goes to waste. It’s part of our No Veggie or Fruit Left Behind campaign with the legends at @Love Food Hate Waste helping to fight food waste one delicious bite at a time.

Blitz, mix, and bake: that’s it. Just a blender needed. Bright, citrusy, and gloriously golden, this is the kind of cake you’ll want to make on repeat. Moist, fragrant, and perfect with a cuppa or a dollop of yoghurt.

Let’s hear it for the humble orange, saving the day (and your compost bin).

Ingredients

• 1 whole orange (yes, skin and all)
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

For the orange syrup:

• Juice of ½ an orange
• 2 tbsp sugar

For the icing:

• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1–2 tsp water
• A little orange zest

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and line a loaf tin or round baking dish.

2. Cut the orange (with the skin on) into chunks and remove any seeds.

3. In a mixing bowl, add the chopped orange, olive oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth.

4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the orange mixture. Fold gently to combine – don’t overmix.

5. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.

6. While the cake is still warm, make the syrup: heat the orange juice and sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Spoon or brush it over the warm cake so it soaks in.

7. Once the cake has cooled completely, make the icing by mixing icing sugar, water, and orange zest until thick but pourable. Drizzle over the top.