… ahh yes, back at the cottage and even though the rain is battering down against the kitchen roof and the sky is the most evil bruised grey I am in a glorious fugg of kitchen heaven. The oven has been on since 6am, I have bread and cakes baking, pastry dough resting in the fridge and plenty of ingredients ready to be transformed into a million dishes to share with you and yes, whilst I am exhausted I am more excited to be back home and in the kitchen… I can sleep when i’m dead…
martell and orange cake with a cognac orange syrup and glaze
i’m working closely with Martell Cognac to develop some cocktails and recipes for their MVSP website and newsletter. It’s a really exciting project to be working on and one which I feel fits me and my blog perfectly… MVSP is all about creating Very Special Nights; the ultimate food, music and of course, cognac and I will be sharing my recipes and tips over the coming months with their database of Martell lovers and of course you. I’m loving all this experimenting and these little cakes are just a first run attempt at making something light and summery with what can be a liquid that has an association with cooler months and christmas… I think the zesty fruit in this light, almost brioche-like cake works superbly with the cognac and when the sun finally shines I’m sure it’s the ideal cake for a balmy summer evening…
there is enough cake batter here to make one large round 10 inch cake or large bundt cake or as i’ve done, these 6 mini bundts and 2 mini loaf tins all of which you should grease and line…
for the cake
4 large eggs – separated
220g sugar
170g butter – melted
300ml freshly squeezed orange juice – roughly the juice of 4 oranges
120ml Martell SV
500g self raising flour
the zest of 1 orange
the zest of 1 lemon
for the syrup
4 tablespoons Martel VS
8 tablespoons caster sugar
the juice of 1/2 orange
for the glaze
4 tablespoons Martel VS
200g icing sugar
the juice of 1/2 orange
pre-heat the oven to 180C
in a large bowl beat the yolks and sugar till light and creamy – roughly 3 mins then add the butter and beat in followed by the orange juice and Martell… the batter will look curdled but this is unavoidable
add the flour and zests and beat in
in a separate bowl beat the egg whites to soft peaks and then gently fold these into the batter mix until nice and light
pour batter into your cake tin or moulds and bake for 40 mins or until golden and risen
to make the syrup combine the ingredients in a bowl and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Once the cake is out of the oven, prick with a skewer and then gently drizzle the syrup over the cake, then set aside to cool
once cooled, combine the glaze ingredients with a whisk and drizzle on top of the cake
i’ll be sharing a complete Martell infused 3 course meal, my tips on hosting a successful party as well as two cocktails on the MVSP website and here on my blog in July…
eat and of course, enjoy!
Orange and brandy, what a lovely combination.
It looks delicious and I bet it would be fab as a large Bundt cake.
I've never used cognac in a cake, or even tried it to be honest but I'm a big fan of alcohol in cakes and this one looks lovely so I want to try it now. The crumb looks so soft and light =)
Wow…. that sounds like a magical kitchen. Can I come and sit in the corner please? Especially if you are making cakes as delicious as this. Orange and Cognac is a wonderful combination!
Gorgeous color on those mini loaves! … and I must congratulate you. You have much more self control over the glaze drizzle … I am so bad about drizzling and drizzling and drizzling and … 🙂
That sounds wonderful with a good cup of coffee. Blessings, Catherine
Look at all that delicious glaze. Excellent flavour combination and I love the mini bundts! I must get my mini bunt pan out.
This looks and sounds amazing. I think I could eat an entire loaf in one sitting…
Oh wow yummy! I love those mini bundts in particular! Think only had Martell once, was lush!
Love a citrus cake – especially good-looking with that smart zig-zag icing.
It's lovely to see your blog again after a self-imposed embargo over several months (not just you, all blogs). But I'm back now – and I bake only vicariously – through you.
Wow, this is really gorgeous, makes me feel like baking it IMMEDIATELY!!!
Gorgeous beyond words can express Dom and glorious photos too! I too am knackered and also hacked off with the weather, but great adventures await me as you know! Have a great day in the kitchen and pass that cake over too! Karen xxxx
Fabulous!!!
Have a nice week
Cognac isn't an ingredient that I use at all – this sounds absolutely delicious and makes me think I should really broaden my horizons a little.
Gorgeous, looks so moist and I can imagine the flavours and taste were divine x
Stupendous cakes! What a splendid feast of flavours.
That is just gorgeous Dom! I can't wait to give this a go. I'm sure it tastes divine.
Oh my goodness, those pictures are mouthwatering. The cake looks so yellow and the icing drizzle really notches the whole thing up several levels. It sounds delicious and the cognac addition can only be a good thing.
Crikey! Now, nice cake aside, how does one get on this secret database of Martell lovers? And do the people on said database get shipments in the post? If so, sign me up!