Recipe adapted slightly from Kitsch in the Kitchen.
Every now and then you just really want to make something special. Something lovely for people who are going to be visiting your home.
I started out my day planning to bake this scrumptious looking Lime & Buttermilk Syrup Cake I saw on My Big Nutshell – who is my hero for all things domestic. I’ve even started aspiring to Gemma’s ironing prowess.
Started being the operative word. I’d actually have to own a functioning iron and board to iron a piece of clothing.
In the end, though, I had to find an alternative. Because I had neither limes nor buttermilk, and the sky was threatening to fall on my children’s head if I ventured a trek to the shops with all three.
And seeing as I have about 57 billion oranges flying around my house (literally, the kids have decided oranges make for great balls to throw up and down the hallway, and as long as they are happy and not fighting, who am I to interfere) I figured I may as well use them.
I was just going to substitute the lime for orange and the buttermilk for yogurt and orange juice from Gemma’s recipe, but I was concerned about the sugar content seeing as our oranges are particularly sweet this year. I googled some orange syrup cake recipes to see how much sugar was being used and found this recipe – using yogurt and orange juice instead of milk – and figured it’d be easier to just make this cake than experiment with my own.
Experimenting with baking has never gone well for me.
I’ve marked my changes in {brackets} as the recipe progresses:
Orange and Coconut Syrup Cake
(Adapted from Kitsch in the Kitchen recipe)
Ingredients
For a 20cm cake tin
200g (7 oz) Greek-style yoghurt {or Vaalia French Vanilla Yogurt}
70g (2.4 oz) cream cheese {I used less than 5% spreadable cream cheese spread}
90g (3 oz)unsweetened shredded coconut {I used dessicated and don’t think it really made a difference to texture or taste}
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
120g (4 1/4 oz) unsalted butter, softened {I used margarine}
190g (6 3/4 oz) caster sugar {I used normal white sugar}
3 eggs
120g (4 1/4 oz) self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Syrup
120g (4 1/4 oz) caster sugar {normal white sugar works fine}
Juice of 1 orange
{Optional: 1 orange, peeled and segmented, with all skin and pith removed}
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C . Grease and line the base of a 20cm (8″) spring-form cake tin {I just greased and lined the base and sides of a normal tin}.
2. In a food processor or a blender combine the yoghurt, coconut, cream cheese, orange zest, and juice. Process until smooth, then set aside {I used my MiniBlender but I think a whizz stick or even just some electric beaters would do the job}.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold through the yoghurt mixture, incorporating it well. Sift the flour and baking soda over the top, then fold through.
4. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven.
5. While the cake is cooking, prepare the orange syrup by combining the sugar and just enough water to cover it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange juice, then remove from the heat {This is where I peeled and segmented another orange and put the pieces in the syrup to soak}.
6. Drizzle the syrup evenly over the warm cake while still in the tin if necessary. {I left some syrup and orange segments aside for the final presentation}. Cool the cake to room temperature before removing from the tin. {When ready to serve pour over the left over syrup and orange}, slice and serve with ice cream.
We warmed ours in the microwave after slicing.
Heaven in a bowl!
What have you been whipping up in the kitchen? Are you a master of substitution? Is it because you are clever, or because – like me – you just can’t be bothered going to the shops?
I saw you post a pic of that cake yesterday. It looks great. I love your version of the recipe so much more interesting that the original. I am having a dessert night soon and I might have to steal the recipe from you. Yum! (or you could make it and bring it to Canberra )
Mmm, dessert night sounds good! Yeah, I think my version lends itself more to dessert, and the original is more morning or afternoon tea
That looks so yum. I am going to try it this weekend! Thanks. x
Jodi Gibson aka Lipgloss Mumma recently posted..I have an idea…what do you think?
Oh have fun! Be sure to share pictures and/or let me know how you went!
Daisy recently posted..Orange & Coconut Syrup Cake
This looks yum and I love your adjustments. Might have to try this.
Salz recently posted..On another exercise mission
Let me know how you go with it, Salwa!
That looks fantastic. I’ll be giving it a go for sure!
Rachel @ The Kids Are All Right recently posted..Dropping teenagers to parties
Oh goody! Let me know how it goes!!
Oh YUMMO – thanks for sharing Daisy, I’ve just made this today – added the oranges as well, looking forward to having it tonight
Oh how was it?? Yummmmmmmy?!
OMG Daisy – this is one amazing cake, we had it again tonight, heated with vanilla ice cream – it’s a stayer in our home