Sticky Orange Cake with Natural Yogurt Topping
Sticky Orange Cake with Natural Yogurt Topping

Sticky Orange Cake with Natural Yogurt Topping

  • Prep time:

  • Cook time:

  • Total time:

  • Portion/Yield:

    Makes 24xm x 9cm loaf cake

  • Difficulty:

    Easy

This sticky orange cake is a tribute to my very good friend Fabien. Fabien is an outstanding pastry chef and the two of us certainly have one thing in common and that is striving for perfection. I owe Fabien a big thanks, as he taught me a lot about the art of pastry. This sticky orange cake recipe is one of the first of Fabien’s delights that I had the privilege of tasting. He’s naturally protective over his recipes so I am honoured to be able to share this one.

The ingredients make this cake unique. Using  whole boiled orange gives this cake it’s sticky dense characteristic and ultimate orange punch. The yoghurt topping garnished with pomegranate seed, pistachio nuts and freshly grated orange zest complements the moist deliciousness of the cake.

Ingredients & Method

For the sticky orange cake

  • 1 large orange
  • 50ml of the cooking water from the oranges (see recipe below)
  • 3 large free-range eggs
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 50g plain flour
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 1tsp baking powder

Natural Yoghurt Topping

  • 150ml natural yoghurt
  • 1tbs caster sugar
  • 1/2 leaf of gelatine, bloomed
  • 50ml milk
  • 1 pomegranate, seeds only
  • zest of one orange
  • 1tbs pistachio nuts, chopped

First prepare the cake. Wash the orange; place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 1 ½ hours, until completely soft, you may need to top it up with more water if it’s evaporating too much. Let the orange cool completely in the cooking liquid.

Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease a 24cm x 9cm x 6.5cm loaf tin.

Place the boiled orange (skin and all) in a food processor with 50ml of the cooking liquid, puree till a very smooth.

Transfer the orange puree to a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar and mix well. Fold the ground almonds into the batter. Sieve the flour and baking powder over the batter and fold the flour in with a metal spoon. The cake batter will be very runny.

Spoon the cake mixture in to the prepared mould and bake for 1 hour. Test the cake by inserting a metal skewer; if it comes out clean the cake is cooked. The texture of this cake is moist and dense, nearly the texture of a baked cheesecake. Let the cake cool for 20 minute, turn the cake out on to a cooling rack and cool completely before you garnish the cake with the natural yoghurt topping.

For the yoghurt topping. Bring the milk and sugar to the boil, remove from the heat and add the drained bloomed gelatine leaf, stir to dissolve, add the natural yoghurt mix well. Let the yoghurt cool to a soft set before spreading the yoghurt topping onto the cold cake. (it’s important that the cake is completely cold and the yoghurt topping almost completely set, spreadable consistency.

Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds, orange zest and chopped pistachio nuts over the yoghurt topping before it sets completely. Keep the cake refrigerated up to three days.