Orange and Pomegranate Cake is a traditional British recipe for a classic rich and moist cake made with orange and pomegranate juice and Greek yoghurt that's decorated with orange slices and pomegranate seedsn and which is lucky for New Year. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Orange and Pomegranate Cake.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
My local supermarket currently has a glut of pomegranates. Being me, I brought a whole load. After eating some, juicing others and making pomegranate syrup, I still had loads left over so I’ve been looking out for pomegranate-based recipes to make and this was one of these. Here two small-sized pomegranates are used. One to provide juice for the cake and the other to provide seeds for decoration.
This cake includes two lucky components, oranges and pomegranates so it's great for serving on New Year's Eve or New Year to wish your guests good fortune for the year ahead.
Ingredients:
5 blood oranges, 3 whole, juice of 2
2 small pomegranates (juice of 1, seeds of second)
250g (2 sticks) butter, softened
50g (3 tbsp) clear honey, plus 2 tbsp
300g (1 ½ cups) golden caster sugar
200g (1 ¾ cups) self-raising flour
100g (1/2 cup less 1 tbsp) ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
1 tbsp orange blossom water, plus 1 tsp
140g full-fat Greek yogurt, plus extra to serve
Method:
Place one whole orange in a saucepan, cover completely with water and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for a couple of minutes then drain away the water and cover the orange with fresh water. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 40 minutes, or until the orange is very soft. Take off the heat and allow to cool. Once the orange is cool enough to handle, cut the orange in half and remove the pips. If desired, this can be done a day in advance and the orange can be stored in the fridge.
Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease a 22cm diameter springform cake tin with a knob of the butter. Drizzle 2 tbsp of honey over the base of the tin, then slice the remaining 2 whole oranges and arrange the slices over the honey.
Place the boiled orange in a food processor and whizz to a purée. Soften the butter, combine with 200g of the sugar and the 50g honey and cream together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly to combine after each addition. If the eggs begin to curdle work in 1 tbsp of the flour. Sift over the flour and baking powder and stir to combine then fold in the almonds, 1 tbsp orange blossom water and the yogurt until the batter is smooth. Stir in the puréed orange and scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin, being careful not to dislodge the fruit. Transfer to your oven and bake for 55 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre emerges clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 mins in the tin, then invert onto a serving plate so the orange slices are uppermost.
Now juice the pomegranate. You can do this easily by vigorously squeezing and pressing the skin of seven of the pomegranates to crush the seeds inside. Once done, hold the squashed fruit over a small saucepan, slit the skin with a knife and the juice will pour out. Combine with the blood orange juice, the remaining sugar and 1 tsp orange blossom water into. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins, or until the syrup has thickened slightly. Extract the seeds from the remaining pomegranate and stir them into the syrup while it cools.
Enjoy the cake slightly warm or at room temperature, with spoonfuls of thick Greek yogurt and drizzled with syrup.
Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.