Greek recipes -
Greek Orange and Honey Syrup cake with yogurt and pistachios

Recipe Categories : | Greek | Cakes | Oranges | Pistachio nuts | MAIN INDEX |

Serves : 12

Ingredients :

• For the cake: 2 small oranges (weighing about 9 oz)
• 4½ oz ground almonds
• 6 oz well-softened butter, plus a little extra for greasing
• 6 oz golden caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 9 oz semolina
• 4½ tspn baking powder
  For the syrup:
• 8 fl oz honey
• 5 tbsp orange juice
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• 1½" cinnamon stick
  For the topping:
• 7 oz Greek yogurt
• 1½ oz unsalted, shelled pistachio nuts
• 2 tbsp honey (try Greek Mountain Honey)

Preparation and Cooking Instructions :

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. First, cut the oranges into chunks, removing the pips. Then tip the whole lot – flesh, pith and zest – into a food processor and whiz it to a thick purée. Now all you do is simply put all the other cake ingredients into a large bowl and, provided the butter is really soft, just go in with an electric hand whisk and whisk everything together until you have a smooth, well-combined mixture. After that, fold in the orange purée, spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with the back of the spoon.
3. Now place the cake on the center shelf of the oven and bake it for an initial 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for a further 40-45 minutes, or until it is golden brown, springy in the center and has shrunk slightly from the sides of the tin.
4. Meanwhile, make the syrup. To do this, simply combine the honey and 5 tablespoons water with the cinnamon stick in a small saucepan, place it over a gentle heat, bring it up to simmering point and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes. After that, take the pan off the heat, remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the orange and lemon juices.
5. Leave the cake aside to cool for 5 minutes, then remove it from the tin to a wire rack to cool, with a large plate underneath. Make a few holes all over it with a skewer before pouring the syrup over it. (It will look like there is far too much, but don't worry, the cake will absorb more than you think, and any that is not absorbed can be poured from the plate back over the cake.) Then, when the cake is absolutely cold, place it on a serving plate, cover it and leave it in a cool place overnight.
6. Just before serving, spread the top of the cake with the Greek yogurt, sprinkle over the pistachios, drizzle with the honey and serve cut into chunky slices.