Orange & Honey Syrup Cake with Greek yoghurt and Pistachios

Ingredients:
For the cake:
Juice of 2 Oranges
Zest of 2 Oranges
125g Ground almonds
175g Softened butter and a little extra for greasing
175g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
250g semolina
4½ teaspoons baking powder

For the syrup:
200ml Boyne Valley Honey
5 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of good quality marmalade (no bits)
Juice of one orange
Juice of one lemon

For the topping:
200g Glenisk Natural Greek yoghurt
40g unsalted, shelled pistachio nuts
A drizzle of Boyne valley honey

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C
You will also need an 9 inch round loose-based cake tin, greased, with a non-stick base liner.

Method:
First, remove the zest from the outside of the oranges and cut the oranges into halves for juicing. Put all the other cake ingredients into a large bowl and use an electric hand whisk to whisk everything together until smooth. Add the Orange juice and zest and mix for a further minute. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with and smooth the top with a spatuala.

Bake for an initial 10 minutes at 200°C and then turn the temperature down to 180°C for a further 30 minutes until the cake is golden brown and springy in the centre. You may find that your cake has shrunk slightly from the sides of the tin, this is perfect. If you find the cake is browning too quickly reduce the heat to 150°C and cover the top with tin foil for the last 10 minutes.

To make the syrup:
Combine the honey and 5 tablespoons water with the marmalade, place it over a gentle heat, whisking continuously. Bring it up to simmering point and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes. After that, take the pan off the heat, and stir in the orange and lemon juices.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove it from the tin (leaving it to cool will ensure the cake doesn’t break apart) with a large plate underneath. Make a few holes all over it with a skewer before pouring the syrup over the cake slowly allowing it to absorb all the syrup, this will make the cake lovely and moist. When the cake is completely cooled, place it carefully on a serving plate and spread with the Greek yougert, sprinkle the pistachios on top and drizzle over the honey and it is ready to serve.

This cake should provide 8-10 slices and should be covered and kept in the fridge. It was a perfect treat for me and a break away from the books.

Orange & Honey Syrup Cake with Greek yoghurt and Pistachios