After making this Yogurt Orange Cake for the first time I said to myself "what have I been missing all these years?". This is the softest cake I have ever ate! And it's as simple as taking a bowl, a hand whisk, and mix together the ingredients. Yes, seriously!
I always thought that to make a nice soft cake you have to use an electric mixer and cream the butter first. Maybe for even up to 15 minutes until it gets really fluffy. But nope, this isn't the case. And if you think that yourself, then you must try this cake. As it will amaze you as much as it amazed me.
So the secret to making a very soft cake is yogurt. No butter, no electric mixer. And the better the yogurt the better, softer, and super airy the cake will be.
Ingredients For Making The Best Yogurt Orange Cake
The best yogurt to use for cake making is full-fat and strained. The one that's really thick and creamy. That's how Greek yogurt really is. Simply mix it with the eggs and sugar, before combining it with the olive oil, orange juice, and zest, and self-raising flour.
You can use plain yogurt and turn it into strained by following this tutorial →
By the way, don't be afraid to use quality strong-flavored olive oil. Orange trees are a Mediterannean fruit that lives next to olive trees. In the same way, they like to coexist in dishes as well.
Topping and serving...
Once the cake is baked and has cooled down to room temperature, flip the pan over a serving plate. Sprinkle plenty of icing sugar on top. For me, this is the best topping for this cake as it gives to the airiness of this cake. But you can also make an orange icing sugar glaze instead. That is if you want an even stronger orange flavor.
To make this glaze, zest half an orange and mix with 1 cup of icing sugar. Then stir in the orange juice a bit at a time, until you get a thick runny mixture. Pour over the cake and let the cake stand until it sets.
Recipe
Yogurt Orange Cake With Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 260 grams / 9.2 oz yogurt preferably Greek strained
- 3 eggs
- 160 grams / 5.6 oz sugar
- 180 grams / 6.3 oz olive oil
- 320 grams/ 11.3 oz self-raising flour
- 1 orange juiced
- 2 oranges zested
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- icing sugar for adding on top
Instructions
- Add the yogurt, eggs, and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Stir vigorously with a hand whisk for 2 minutes until everything combines well.
- Pour in the olive oil and whisk to combine.
- Then incorporate the flour in batches. Add the orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Give it a good stir and then cover the bowl with a tea towel. Rest for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven at 180°C / 356°F.
- Grease a bundt cake pan with a bit of vegetable oil or cooking spray. Transfer the cake batter into the pan, spreading it evenly with a spoon. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Or until when you prick the cake with a knife in the center, the knife comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool down a bit and then flip the pan over a serving plate. Sprinkle plenty of icing sugar on top and serve!
Nutrition
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I don't have a bundt pan. Can I use a simple cake pan?
Sure you can!
I made this today, and it’s certainly an airy and fragrant cake. If I was to make it again, I would add a little more sugar as I found it to be lacking in sweetness. I could also make a glaze next time to add over the cake to compensate for this.
Hi Stella, thank you for trying the recipe. Yes, it isn't too sweet. I thought it's best this way so anyone can adjust the sweetness (according to their liking) with the icing sugar on top. And yes, adding the glaze is the best way to make it sweeter. You may even add some honey to the glaze as well. It goes nicely with orange.