Orange Cake with Yoghurt Drizzle

This is a really moist cake or loaf made with whole oranges. It’s a sort of old fashioned way of doing an orange cake by “boiling” the whole oranges first. This cake is not light and fluffy and it doesn't rise to a great height but it is incredibly moist and squidgy and full of orangey citrus flavour. I love it served with a big dollop of double cream and a nice cup of tea. It will keep for quite a few days and it seems to become even more moist and flavoursome as it sits.

To serve it as a dessert you could forget the yoghurt icing and serve it warm topped with an orange syrup made from fresh orange juice and some sugar cooked over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the juice becomes syrupy. It would be like an orange pudding. It would certainly need cream or ice-cream!!

The Combi Steam makes this so easy as you use Steam to start the process off by simply adding the oranges whole, to the oven and steaming for 10 minutes. Usually this is done in boiling water on the stove but really, who wants to wash up a saucepan. I use my food processor too so it's just a matter of whizzing it all up and then pouring the batter into a cake time. Using Hot Air+Steaming or your Combination Steam at a moderate temperature makes sure that it retains all of that beautiful moist dense-ness while still getting golden on the top. Perfection.

If you don't have a food processor you could chop the orange with a knife into quarters and then eighths and then run your knife through it again and again until very finely chopped - almost mashed.

I actually doubled the recipe and cooked two cakes at the same time in the oven, then froze one for later!

Ingredients:
2 small oranges or 1 large (Valencia works well as it doesn't have pips)
180g butter
3 XL eggs
1 ½ cups Self Raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup caster sugar
¼ tsp each of ground cinnamon and ground ginger (or to taste)

Method:

Chop the butter into chunks and place in a heatproof bowl or jug. Place the butter and oranges into the Combi-Steam. Select Steam. Set the temperature to 100°C. Cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile measure all other ingredients and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
When oven beeps remove the orange using tongs and remove the butter, setting it aside to cool slightly.
Select Hot Air+Steaming/Combination Steam. (For variable Steam select 20%). Set the temperature to 160°C. Allow to preheat.
Use a knife to cut the orange into 8 pieces.
Place the orange into the food processor with the multi purpose blade and process for a few minutes until very finely chopped (almost pureed) in texture.
Add the sugar, spices and melted butter and process until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time down the chute, while the motor is running.
Stop and add the flour and baking powder. Pulse until just combined - don't over mix here - just a little will do it.
Pour the batter into the lined tin and place into the lower half of the CombiSteam.
Bake for 50 minutes. If it smells fragrant at that stage and feels springy when touched remove and insert a skewer into the centre to check for “done-ness”. If the skewer comes out clean remove and set aside. If not, continue to cook for a further 10 minutes or until the skewer does come out clean.
Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove to cool completely on a cake rack.
For the yoghurt drizzle combine 1/4 cup of greek yoghurt with 2 tbs sifted icing sugar and 2-3 tbs of orange juice. Add the juice gradually while whisking until you get the right consistency. If you like it sweeter you can whisk in more icing sure to taste. Drizzle over the completely cooled cake.

This cake would also work well using mandarins or even tangerines. Have a play and see what you think.

Happy Combi-Steaming!

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ. x