Nutty Orange & Greek Yoghurt Cake
gimme that whole orange
The best way to infuse anything with citrus is to use the whole fruit. Juice is good, zest’s great - so what could be better than eating cake and knowing the entire orange made it into the batter?
Another thing I’m a big fan of is baking cake with its conservative (whole wheat) flour and (raw cane) sugar but sneaking in a bunch of nuts just to give it something more substantial. Use any nut you’re into, I am recommending ground almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts.
Servings: 1 loaf
Total time: 1.5 hours
for the CAKE
1 organic orange
3 eggs
100g Greek yoghurt
100ml sunflower seed oil or melted butter
150g ground nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts
180g raw cane sugar
150g spelt flour (type 630)
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp polenta
serve with
sour cream
honey
Instructions
To prepare the orange, halve it and place it in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 45 minutes or until soft. Drain, then allow it to cool slightly before removing any seeds. Blend the entire orange (peel and all) into a smooth purée and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a loaf tin. Add the polenta to the tin and swirl it around so it sticks to all sides.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the Greek yoghurt, sunflower oil (or melted butter), vanilla extract, and the orange purée, then mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine the ground nuts, spelt flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy with a generous dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of honey or as is, which I find just as good!