Orange blossom & yogurt cake

Orange blossom & yogurt cake

An easy, bung-it-in-the-oven type of cake with a Middle Eastern feel

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Method

  1. To make the syrup, put the water, sugar, rind, citrus juices and cardamom into a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Bring to the boil and simmer for 7 minutes. It will thicken and become syrupy as it cools. Cool then strain and add the orange flower water.
  2. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter or oil a 20cm spring-form tin. Put all the dry ingredients for the cake in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and make a well in the centre. Put all the rest of the ingredients in the well and stir with a wooden spoon, gradually incorporating the wet ingredients. Spoon into the tin and bake for half an hour. A skewer pushed into the middle of the cake should come out clean, if not give it a little longer.
  3. Leave for 10 minutes to cool in the tin, then turn onto a plate. Pierce all over with a skewer and, while the cake is still warm, slowly pour over the syrup. Leave to soak in. Dust with icing sugar just before serving - the sugar just disappears into the syrupy top otherwise - and serve with crème fraîche or yogurt.
Try

Orange flower water

Look in the baking section of larger supermarkets or buy from Middle Eastern shops.

Recipe from olive magazine, January 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • 25 June 2008

    jvcg rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This cake works beautifully as a pudding or as an afternoon treat. I was a bit sceptical that it wouldn't be impressive enough for a dinner party but it certainly is. I was also worried that it would be dry but the syrup gives it brilliant squidge factor and the cardamom makes it a little bit extra special.

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  • 27 August 2008

    kaird rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    A brilliant recipe - so easy and so tasty. I couldn't find orange blossom water in Berlin so used rose water instead.

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  • 25 March 2009

    suegriffin rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious - sweet and moist - I used rose water too as I had it in the cupboard. It was a little overpowering though. My cake took 45 minutes to cook and was probably still a minute or too undercooked.

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  • 05 July 2009

    Eggs Benedict rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This is lovely and moist and the orange flower water makes it a bit special. Is nice served with a few respberries along with the greek yog too.

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  • 19 March 2010

    olinka rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • 21 September 2010

    SweetFannyAdams rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    I also found it needed longer - I left mine in 40 minutes but the middle was still a little sloppy. The flavours were lovely though.

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  • 03 May 2011

    kegsy commented on this recipe

    One zested lemon? Does this mean the zest of one lemon goes in the cake mixture? Sounds more like a whole lemon without zest should go in!

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  • 07 May 2011

    PhysalisFranchetti rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    A really lovely cake! The yoghurt makes the cake soft, and the syrup adds an extra taste dimension, especially with the cardamom. The cake was quick and easy to make, which is especially important for a busy mum. We didnt bother with the salt, and used mild, light olive oil instead of sunflower. This is a special vanishing cake - the kids saw a lot of it off in one sitting!

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  • 26 August 2011

    Papageno rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Nice cake indeed, but don't expect it to be a crowd-pleaser. The complexity of the flavours in the syrup are a bit of an acquired taste. I like every single ingredient of the syrup, buts as some of my guests pointed out, the it tastes a bit "soapy", and I kind of agreed with them.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 200g self-raising flour , sifted
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 large eggs , beaten with a fork
  • 250g Greek yogurt
  • 150ml sunflower oil
  • 1 zested lemon

FOR THE ORANGE SYRUP

  • 150ml water
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 1 orange , juiced and 2 strips of zest
  • ½ juiced lemon
  • 5 crushed cardamom pods
  • 1 tbsp orange flower water
  • icing sugar and crème fraîche or Greek yogurt, to serve
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