Recipes

Strawberry and yoghurt cake

Serve this cake warm from the oven with a spoonful of honey flavoured Greek yogurt, crème fraiche or ice cream for an extra special coffee morning treat or afternoon fundraiser.

Serves 8

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

1 orange

40 g (11/2 oz) sugar lumps

100 g (4 oz) self-raising white flour

100 g (4 oz) self-raising wholemeal flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

175 g (6 oz) caster sugar

50 g (2 oz) butter

150 g (5 oz) natural yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 medium eggs

450g (1lb) strawberries, hulled, halved

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4. Lightly brush the base and sides of a 23 cm (9 inch) springform tin with a little oil and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking paper the same size.
    
2. Rub the sugar lumps one by one over the orange to flavour them with the natural oil in the rind then roughly crush the lumps with a rolling pin or in a pestle and mortar. Remove the orange rind from the orange with a peeler then chop. (Use the orange flesh for another recipe or eat as a cook’s perk.)
    
3. Add the flours, baking powder, salt and sugar to a mixing bowl. Heat the butter in a small bowl in the microwave or in a saucepan until just melted. Mix the yogurt, vanilla and eggs in a smaller bowl then add to the flour, pour in the butter then add half the chopped orange rind. Mix briefly until just smooth.
    
4. Spoon the cake mixture into the tin, spread flat with a round bladed knife then arrange the strawberries over the top in a random pattern and sprinkle with the remaining chopped orange rind and crushed sugar lumps.  Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes until well risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out cleanly. Check after 30-40 minutes and cover the top loosely with foil if the top of the cake seems to be browning too quickly. 
    
5. Leave to cool for 15 minutes then remove from the tin, peel away the lining paper then cut into wedges and serve warm.