Winter in Tuscany is sweeter with a slice of cake
Each season has its own traditions. In the summer you go to the beach, in the autumn you go back to school and make good proposals, in the spring you feel reborn and what about in winter?
Many people do not like winter days because they are cold, but in Tuscanywe are very lucky and there are very few days wearing gloves and hats, the climate is mild even in winter in our Tuscan hills, but this does not take away the possibility to warm up with a good slice of cake!
How to brighten up cold days
In these months the best way to pass the time and enjoy your own home, a cup of tea, a good book and a nice piece of homemade cake! We share with you a recipe that improves even the dullest days and makes winter even the most chilly: the orange cake!
Orange cake recipe
This cake is quick and easy to make, great for a snack or for breakfast (to be honest it is very good after dinner too).
It remains very soft because the orange juice is used and very fragrant due to the grated rind. If you are already looking forward to your moment of daily relax, read on for the recipe!
Ingredients
- 200 grams of flour 00
- 100 gr of potato starch
- 130 grams of butter (or 100 grams of peanut oil)
- 220 grams of cane sugar
- 5 eggs
- 16 grams of vanilla yeast
- 1 grated organic orange peel and juice
- 1 pinch of salt
Method
1) first of all let’s prepare the orange. The orange should be washed well, the rind grated and the juice squeezed.
2) divide the eggs between yolk and egg white. The egg whites are whipped until stiff together with the grated zest, which can be done with the aid of the planetary mixer or with a hand whisk.
3) add the egg yolks, continuing to mix with a whisk or planetary mixer. Be careful not to disassemble the dough. You will notice that the dough triples in volume and becomes clear and fluffy.
4) Sift the flour and the vanilla yeast and add it to the mixture together with the melted butter or sunflower oil if you follow a dairy-free diet.
5) add the orange juice (filtered from the seeds) and amalgamating together with the vanilla yeast and a pinch of salt.
Baking
Preheat the static oven to 150 degrees. Grease and flour a pan to put the mixture, if necessary you can level with a ladle.
Bake for an hour.
Each oven has its own specifications, it is always a good idea to test the toothpick during baking: insert a wooden toothpick in the cake and if it comes out dry it means that the cake is baked.
The right time to enjoy the cake
This orange cake, if stored under a cotton cloth, can be stored for up to four days while maintaining both flavor and aroma and therefore there are so many right moments! From breakfast with milk to peckish after dinner, every moment is valid to taste this soft cake.
The cakes of Villa Campestri
If you want to enjoy a real moment of relax, in the temperate climate of beautiful Tuscany, and taste delicious cakes, we are waiting for you at Villa Campestri in the heart of Tuscany with our delicious breakfasts and snacks!
Quick Booking snippet
One of the most meaningful experiences during a trip to Tuscany, beyond visiting art cities or iconic landscapes, is connecting with everyday local life. That connection often happens in village markets, artisan workshops, and small food shops where products are made for the people who live there year-round, not just for visitors. In this guide, […]
How to get to Mugello from Florence and how to travel around Tuscany with or without a car. Distances, trains, buses and transfers.
Romantic weekend in Tuscany between Mugello and Florence: scenic rooms, candlelight dinners, and olive oil tastings. Discover Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort.
Anyone visiting Florence for the first time imagines a stay right in the historic center, surrounded by museums, piazzas, and narrow cobblestone streets. It takes only a day, however, to realize that Florence is wonderful to explore yet challenging to inhabit. Between ZTL restrictions, scarce and expensive parking, constant noise, and high prices for even […]
Among the rolling hills of the Mugello, centuries‑old olive trees stand as living presences, deeply rooted in both time and landscape. Their twisted trunks, shaped by wind and sun, tell silent stories of rural life, patience, and renewal. In Tuscany, the olive tree embodies the quiet strength of nature: resilient, enduring, and generous. At Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort, […]
In Tuscany, some words taste like freshly pressed olive oil and warm bread; others echo bedtime stories whispered by grandparents. They’re simple expressions, but rich in meaning, full of identity, character, and that deep-rooted spirit of a land that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is. During your stay at Villa Campestri […]
In the Mugello, wonder lives in the silence between the fields, broken only by the rustle of wind through the olive trees. It lingers in the cool shade of cobbled alleys that still echo with generations past. And it gathers in the squares of small villages, where days unfold in quiet conversation over market stalls […]
There’s an authentic way to discover Tuscany: get your hands in the soil, pick what the season offers, and turn it into something to share at the table.Farm‑to‑table is more than a trend: it’s a way of life, rooted in respect, tradition, and honest flavors. At Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort, it’s a daily ritual. […]