Makes 6-8

Mini orange Madeira cakes recipe

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Takes 1 1/4 hours to make, plus cooling

130g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
130g golden caster sugar
Grated zest of 1/2 orange and 2 tbsp of juice
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 medium eggs, beaten
90g plain flour
90g self-raising flour
4 tbsp milk
2 tbsp apricot jam
250g white icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
Walnut-sized-piece white fondant icing
12-16 small fresh bay leaves
For the almond paste
100g ground almonds
50g golden caster sugar
50g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 medium egg yolk
Grated zest of 1/2 orange
1-2 tsp Cointreau (or fresh orange juice)

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1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Grease the loaf tins and line the bases with baking paper (there’s no need if you’re using the Tefal mould). Put the butter, caster sugar and orange and lemon zests into a large bowl. Use an electric whisk to beat until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour as you go. Sieve the remaining flours together, then fold into the mix with the orange juice and milk until it has a dropping consistency. Fill each tin or hole three-quarters full. Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen, golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, make the almond paste. Whizz the almonds, sugars, egg yolk, orange zest and Cointreau (or juice) in a food processor until the mixture just comes together to form a ball (add more Cointreau or juice if the paste seems dry or crumbly). Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Put the jam into a small pan, with 1 tablespoon of water. Bring to the boil, stirring, then rub through a sieve into a bowl. Set aside to cool.
4. Lightly dust a work surface with icing sugar. Thinly roll out the almond paste. Cut out oblongs to fit the top of each cake. Brush each cake with apricot glaze, then top with a piece of almond paste. To decorate, put the white icing sugar in a bowl and slowly mix with 2-3 tablespoons of cold water, to get a drizzling consistency. Spoon evenly over the cakes, allowing it to run over the edges. Leave to set.
5. Roll some fondant to make small berries. Decorate each cake with 2 fresh bay leaves and fondant berries, then dust lightly with more icing sugar. Gift-wrap and attach a dried orange slice (from garden centres). Attach a card or label explaining to store in an airtight box and eat within 1 week.

Nutritional info

Per serving (based on 8): 578kcals, 23.8g fat (10.2g saturated), 7.4g protein, 88.8g carbs, 71.1g sugar, 0.5g salt

Chef's tip

You’ll need 8 individual 8 x 5cm mini loaf tins, from Divertimenti (tel: 020 7935 0689 or visit www.divertimenti.co.uk), or a 6-hole Tefal Proflex silicone mini-cake mould, from Sainsbury’s (tel: 0845 602 1454 for stockists).

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