Sicilian Orange Cake Made with Aranciata Soda Has Tangy Citrus Flavors

The Delightful A Siciliana Aranciata Cake

Aranciata is a type of Italian soda or soft drink that has a delicious orange flavor. It gets its name from the Italian word for orange, "arancia". In Sicily and southern Italy, aranciata is very popular and is often used to make sweets and desserts that highlight the lovely citrus taste.

One such dessert is the Torta Arancia alla Siciliana, or Sicilian Orange Cake. This moist, tender cake gets both its bright color and tangy flavor from the addition of aranciata. It's a perfect way to showcase the summery orange soda in cake form. With a few simple ingredients, it's easy to make this sunny cake that will transport you right to the orchards of Sicily with each bite!

The Best Ingredients for Sicilian Orange Cake

To make an authentic Torta Arancia alla Siciliana, you'll need ingredients common in Italian baking:

• Orange soda like San Pellegrino Aranciata or any aranciata amara (bitter orange soda)
• Flour - traditionally Italian "00" flour which is very finely milled
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Olive oil or vegetable oil
• Milk
• Baking powder
• Vanilla extract
• Orange zest

The aranciata gives the cake a delightful orange aroma and flavor. Using high quality ingredients like Italian 00 flour helps ensure a tender crumb. And fresh, aromatic orange zest adds even more bright citrus flavor.

Easy to Make Orange Cake Recipe

This Sicily-inspired orange cake recipe comes together quickly:

1. Whisk together dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder.
2. In a separate bowl, beat eggs together with oil, milk, aranciata, vanilla and orange zest.
3. Stir the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Pour batter into a lightly greased cake pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

The prep work is fast and easy with this simple one-bowl method. And soon your kitchen will be filled with the summery scents of fresh, sweet oranges as your cake bakes!

Serve and Store Your Stunning Orange Cake

The Torta Arancia is excellent freshly baked, or enjoy it the next day. The orange flavors have time to meld together overnight making this cake taste even better on day two!

Serving Suggestions

There are so many tasty ways to serve your orange soda cake:

• Dust with powdered sugar or top with vanilla glaze
• Dollop with whipped cream or orange mascarpone cream
• Enjoy with berries, fresh citrus slices, or other fruit
• Drizzle with an orange syrup made from aranciata, sugar and orange zest

A scoop of vanilla gelato is also heavenly with this orange-scented cake!

Storing Your Cake

Leftover Sicilian orange soda cake can be stored easily:

• Cover tightly and store at room temperature up to 3 days
• Wrap in plastic wrap then foil and freeze up to 3 months
• Enjoy sliced orange cake straight from the freezer

With adequate storage, you can enjoy this bright, summery cake even when orange trees aren't in season!

Bring the Flavors of Sicily Home

With its delicious taste of aranciata soda, bright citrus aromas, and Mediterranean origins, the Torta Arancia alla Siciliana cake brings back fond memories of long, sunny days on the island. Enjoy a little bite of Sicily using common pantry ingredients. This cake's burst of summer flavors from fresh orange and fizzy soda will transport you right to the lush orchards of Sicily!

Have you tried your hand yet at this iconic regional dessert? Once you bake up this easy, scrumptious orange cake you'll want to make it every year when the weather warms up. It's the perfect way to celebrate the start of orange soda season!

FAQs

What is aranciata?

Aranciata is an Italian soda or soft drink made with orange juice and sweeteners. It has a refreshing orange flavor and aroma and is commonly found in southern Italy and Sicily.

Can I make this cake with regular orange soda?

While you can attempt this cake with a soda like Fanta, the flavor will not be as authentic. We recommend using an actual Italian aranciata for the signature orange taste.

What type of orange zest is best?

Fresh orange zest from heavy-skinned oranges varieties like Valencia, navel, or blood oranges works very well. The fresh oil and citrus punch amps up the orange flavor beautifully.

Do I need specialty ingredients to make this Sicilian cake?

No specialty ingredients needed! While Italian "00" flour makes an exceptionally tender cake, all purpose flour works nicely too. Most items should be easy to find at any major grocery store.