Nicola Lamb is a British pastry chef and writer, trained and based in the United Kingdom, widely admired for her clear, honest and deeply educational approach to baking. Through her books and writing, she champions recipes that are designed to work in real kitchens, not just on the page. This six-orange cake perfectly reflects her philosophy: a seemingly simple recipe, technically precise, that uses citrus in all its forms — zest, pulp, juice and syrup — to create an intensely aromatic, moist and long-lasting cake. It is a cake made to be shared, to improve over time, and to be enjoyed slowly.

For the cake

• Zest of 4 oranges

• 175 g caster sugar

• 200 g soft butter

• 1/4 tsp flaky salt

• 60 g ground almonds

• 200 g blended orange pulp (from 1–2 peeled oranges)

• 150 g eggs (approx. 3 eggs)

• 175 g plain flour

• 10 g baking powder

For the syrup

• Juice of 3–4 oranges (approx. 250 g)

• Juice of 1 lemon (approx. 50 g)

• 225 g caster sugar

• A pinch of salt

To serve

• 1 orange, segmented

• Thick Greek yoghurt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C (fan).

2. Wash and dry the oranges. Zest four of them directly into the sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers to release the oils, then leave to rest for 10 minutes until lightly orange-tinted.

3. Peel around 1½ oranges and blend the flesh until smooth to obtain 200 g. If you don’t have a blender, you can use the same amount of freshly squeezed juice. Whisk this with the eggs and set aside.

4. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

5. Beat the soft butter with the ground almonds, salt and orange sugar for about 2 minutes until smooth.

6. Add the egg–orange mixture and the flour mixture alternately, in 3–4 additions. The batter may look slightly split; this is normal and will not affect the final cake.

7. Pour the batter into a lined 20 cm tin and bake for 45–50 minutes, until deeply golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. Leave to cool completely.

Citrus syrup

1. Juice the oranges and the lemon.

2. Measure 200 g of the mixed juice into a saucepan, add the sugar and bring to the boil.

3. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

4. Add the remaining fresh juice and a pinch of salt.

5. Allow to cool completely and taste. Extra citrus zest can be added for a more marmalade-like flavour.

Assembly and finishing

1. When both cake and syrup are cool to the touch, pour 100 g of syrup over the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.

2. After 1 minute, add another 50 g and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

3. Pour 125 g of syrup onto the serving plate. Carefully unmould the cake onto the syrup, lifting it gently so the syrup can be absorbed underneath.

4. Leave to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

5. Reserve 50–75 g of syrup for serving or for feeding the cake over the following days.

Final glaze and decoration

• Reduce the remaining syrup to 118 °C or until very thick.

• Cut the orange into fine segments and arrange them decoratively.

• Brush with the thick syrup to give them a glossy finish.

Storage and serving

• Keeps at room temperature for 1–2 days (longer without the orange segments).

• Serve with extra syrup on the plate and, if desired, a spoonful of thick Greek yoghurt.