Orange, Almond & Yoghurt Cake

Name: Orange, Almond & Yoghurt Cake
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1½ cups light muscovado sugar; 250g salted butter, cubed; 2 oranges; 6 eggs; 1 cup almond meal; 180g thick natural yoghurt; 1 cup plain flour; ½ cup self-raising flour; Icing sugar, for dusting; Crème fraiche, for serving; ORANGE & DATE SALAD:; 4 oranges, segmented; 8 pitted dates, finely diced; ⅓ cup slivered almonds; 6 mint leaves, finely sliced

This orange almond yoghurt cake is great on its own with a cup of coffee or tea. Or the easy orange & date salad turns it into a simple, delicious dessert that can be prepared ahead of time. The almond meal makes it quite moist, so although it makes quite a lot leftovers keep well in an airtight container for up to a week, though it’s so moreish it’s unlikely they’ll be around for that long. The almond and orange flavours instantly transport me to the south of Spain – and a glass of rich, nutty Apostoles VORS Palo Cortado Sherry from Gonzalez Byass is a pretty ideal accompaniment.

Serves 12

Ingredients

1½ cups light muscovado sugar
250g salted butter, cubed
2 oranges
6 eggs
1 cup almond meal
180g thick natural yoghurt
1 cup plain flour
½ cup self-raising flour
Icing sugar, for dusting
Crème frâiche, for serving

Orange & Date Salad

4 oranges, segmented (see video below)
8 pitted dates, finely diced
⅓ cup slivered almonds
6 mint leaves, finely sliced

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C.
Place sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and finely grate the zest of the oranges on top. Beat together until sugar has dissolved.
Meanwhile, juice one orange and set aside ⅓ cup of juice.
Beat eggs into the butter and sugar mixture one at a time. Stir in almond meal, yoghurt and orange juice. Sift combined plain and self-raising flour into the mixture and gently fold it in.
Pour into a greased and lined 22cm x 30cm cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make Orange & Date Salad: cut orange segments into small pieces, combine with remaining Ingredients and set aside.
Remove cake from oven and set aside to cool, lift out of the cake pan, slice into squares, dust with icing sugar and serve with Orange & Date Salad and crème frâiche.