Orange Yogurt Cake

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

 

There are many benefits to cooking with whats in season. First, you won't be paying an arm and a leg for a couple strawberries in the middle of January and second, you're gonna get some good produce. I mean good. This coming from a woman who rarely eats fruits and vegetables (I know, I know!), the oranges are super juicy and sweet right now, go stock up!

And then as you eat your way through the second 5lb bag of the week you'll realize you've been accumulating a lot of orange peels and there are better things to do with those than just throw them away. The zest of a citrus (meaning, the outer part of the skin before you reach the white part, or pith) is loaded with essential oils and is extremely concentrated in flavor. Did you know orange zest can actually help lower your cholesterol? So in that case, this cake could actually be good for you? ;)

If you ever eaten any fruit-infused cake then you'll know that they can be really boring and really dry. Using both orange zest and orange juice takes care of the boring part and the extra help of the orange infused syrup more than enough makes up for anything being dry. This cake smells amazing out of the oven but for best flavor try and wait until it cools to room temperature. At that point, all the syrup will have been absorbed and distributed through out the cake. Or you can do what I did and have a slice warm and then a slice after its cooled, I won't tell!

Orange Yogurt Cake
(adapted from here)

2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons orange rind, grated
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain low-fat yogur
1 /2 cup orange juice ( I use fresh-squeezed)

Syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cinnamon sticks
2 -3 pieces orange peel

Directions 

1.Preheat the oven to 350°F Butter and flour a 9x13 cake pan (I halved this recipe and used an 8" round cake pan

2. Combine the dry ingredients (the first five listed). 

3.Beat together the eggs and sugar until foamy. Add the butter, grated orange peel, and vanilla. Add yogurt, juice, and dry ingredients to the egg mixture gradually. 

4.Bake for 45 minutes, until the cake is firm and golden. 

5. While the cake bakes, combine all syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring quickly to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 

6.Allow to cool, and remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel. 

7.Poke holes into the top of the cake and pour the syrup over it while the cake is still warm. It's going to seem like a lot of syrup, but keep pouring.