Seville orange and honey cake

Name: Seville orange and honey cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 200 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing; 200 g caster sugar; 1 Seville orange, zest and juice; 2 eggs; 300 g plain flour, sifted; 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 150 g natural yogurt; 50 ml sunflower oil; crème fraîche, to serve

This orange and honey cake is the perfect summer afternoon treat. The orange is perfectly sweet and tangy, paired with the sweet syrup of the honey, it's a true delight.

4.5 out of 5 stars(2) Rate this recipe

Serves12
CourseDessert
Prepare30 mins
Cook1 hr 15 mins
Total time1 hr 45 mins
Pluscooling

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200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g caster sugar
1 Seville orange, zest and juice
2 eggs
300g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g natural yogurt
50ml sunflower oil
crème fraîche, to serve

SYRUP

1½ Seville oranges
75g caster sugar
40g clear honey
2 star anise

Preheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Put the butter, sugar and orange zest into a bowl and, using electric beaters, beat until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined, then gradually stir in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, yogurt, oil and orange juice until fully incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to the lined tin and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes-1 hour 15 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover with foil after 40 minutes if browning too quickly. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the syrup, use a zester to pare thin strips of zest from the oranges. (Alternatively, pare the zest with a peeler and slice it into thin strips.) Juice the oranges and put the juice in a pan with the zest, sugar, honey and star anise. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until reduced, thick and syrupy.
Using a skewer, poke holes all over the cake while still in the tin. Remove the star anise and pour most of the syrup over the cake, reserving the zest and about 1 tbsp syrup. Set aside to cool completely. Transfer to a serving plate, pour over the remaining syrup and arrange the zest on top. Serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche.