Sicilian Whole Orange Cake

I found this on Christina's Cucina website. DELICIOUS and so easy to make. 

(Here's a link to the GF version which substitutes cream cheese for the yoghurt and of course GF flour).

Ingredients

3 eggs

250g sugar (1 1/3 cups)

275g plain flour (1 3/4 cup)

2 1/2 ts baking powder

100g softened butter (1/3 cup)

100g plain Greek yoghurt (1/3 cup)

1 large organic orange (~300g) washed and cut into pieces (use rind and flesh but remove seeds)

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Preheat oven to 175C. 

Prepare an 8” springform pan by spraying with oil (or butter) and lining in parchment paper. 

(I use a silicone pan, not a springform - works fine. Recipe says spray the paper as well but I don’t)

Place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy (says to use a mixer but I just use a hand whisk). 

Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the mixture in the bowl a little at a time, along with the softened butter. Continue until all is added and blended, then stir in the yoghurt. 

In a food processor, process the whole orange until it is almost pureed. 

Add the orange to the cake mixture along with the vanilla essence and stir until evenly combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 mins (my oven takes 50 mins). Test with a skewer before removing from oven. Allow to cool for about 15 mins, then remove from the pan.

Orange glaze

Juice of an orange

100g sugar (1/3 cup)

Melt the sugar in the orange juice and allow to simmer for a few minutes until the liquid has a syrupy consistency. Spoon and brush over the top of the cake and allow to cool completely before cutting. 

It’s easier to cut the cake if cool. Could serve with cream.  Sicilian Whole Orange Cake

Ingredients

3 eggs

250g sugar (1 1/3 cups)

275g plain flour (1 3/4 cup)

2 1/2 ts baking powder

100g softened butter (1/3 cup) - I just soften in m/wave

100g plain Greek yoghurt (1/3 cup) - I use whatever flavour I have in the fridge

1 large organic orange (~300g) washed and cut into pieces (use rind and flesh but remove seeds)

1 tsp vanilla essence

Syrup glaze

Juice of an orange

100g sugar (1/3 cup)

Method

Preheat oven to 175C. 

Prepare an 8” springform pan by spraying with oil (or butter) and lining in parchment paper. 

(I use a silicone pan, not a springform - works fine)

(Recipe says spray the paper as well but I don’t)

Place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy (says to use a mixer but I just use a hand whisk). 

Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the mixture in the bowl a little at a time, along with the softened butter. Continue until all is added and blended, then stir in the yoghurt. 

In a food processor, process the whole orange until it is almost pureed. 

Add the orange to the cake mixture along with the vanilla essence and stir until evenly combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 mins (my oven takes 50 mins). Test with a skewer before removing from oven. Allow to cool for about 15 mins, then remove from the pan.

Orange glaze

Melt the sugar in the orange juice and allow to simmer for a few minutes until the liquid has a syrupy consistency. Spoon and brush over the top of the cake and allow to cool completely before cutting. 

It’s easier to cut the cake if cool. Could serve with cream.