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Orange & Olive Oil Traybake with Honey-Yoghurt Icing

A traybake-ified version of my Orange & Olive Oil Layer Cake, filled with honey-yoghurt icing and decorated with edible pressed flowers & homemade candied orange peels.
Course Dessert
Keyword Greek yoghurt, Honey, Olive oil, Orange
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 19 minutes
Servings 50 wedding servings

Equipment

  • 9 x 13 x 2 inch traybake tin (see Note 1).
  • 1 piping bag, fitted with a large, round nozzle
  • cake leveller (or a large, serrated knife).

Ingredients

For the tin:

  • 2 batches DIY Cake Release (see Note 2).

For the cake:

  • 450 g golden caster sugar
  • 6 oranges (zest of 6 + 180ml juice (approx. 3-4 oranges).
  • 6 eggs
  • 180 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 380 g plain flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt

For the icing:

  • 765 g Greek yoghurt (at least 10% fat)(see Note 3).
  • 385 ml double cream
  • 110 g runny honey (see Note 4).

To decorate:

  • Edible pressed flowers (see Note 5).
  • Candied orange peels (see Note 6).

Instructions

Prepare the cake tin:

  • Brush the cake tin all over with a layer of DIY Cake Release. Line the base of the tin (not the sides) with baking paper, then brush the surface of the paper with a little more Cake Release. Set aside.

Make the orange & olive oil cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C (conventional oven, not fan).
  • Place the caster sugar into the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Zest all 6 oranges directly into the bowl with the sugar, then use the back of spoon to press the zest into the sugar until evenly distributed.
  • Add the eggs to the sugar, then whisk on high speed until the mixture has become pale and doubled in size. It should be thick and creamy, like the consistency of softly whipped cream.
  • While the egg mixture is whisking, combine the flour, baking powder and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
  • With the mixer running, pour the olive oil into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, until it is all incorporated.
  • Repeat this process with 180ml of freshly-squeezed orange juice, pouring it in in a slow, steady stream with the mixer running, until it is all incorporated.
  • Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and sift 1/4 of the dry ingredient mixture directly over the surface of the batter. Use a handheld balloon whisk to fold the dry ingredients in gently, but thoroughly.
  • Repeat this process 3 more times, adding 1/4 of the dry ingredients each time, until they are completely incorporated. Switch to a spatula for one final, brief stir to make sure no flour remains at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared tin, then bake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, until the edges of the cake are starting to pull away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  • As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, use your fingers, or the flat edge of a palette knife, to very gently push the edges of the cakes inwards, towards the centre. This helps the cake to release from the sides of the tin, making it easier to get it out of the tin once they are cool and ensuring that the cake has neat edges later.
  • Allow the cake to cool most of the way in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack, carefully remove the baking paper from the bottom and allow to cool completely before assembling.

Make the icing:

  • When the cake are cool, make the icing. Place the yoghurt, cream and honey into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on high speed until the mixture just holds stiff peaks. Don't over-whip. Transfer to a piping bag, fitted with a large, round nozzle.

Assemble the cake:

  • Once the cake is cold and the icing is made, it's time to assemble. Start by dividing the cake into two layers horizontally. I use a cake leveller for this, but you can use a large, serrated knife instead.
  • Add a generous smear of icing to the centre of your serving plate/board, then stick the first layer of cake on top, making sure it is centred and level.
  • Pipe rows of icing dollops all over the surface of the first cake layer, making sure the dollops around the perimeter of the cake are neat, as they will be on show.
  • Carefully top with the second layer of cake, then repeat the icing process again. Make sure that all of the piping on this layer is neat, because this will be the top of the cake.
  • Place the cake into the fridge to chill for 15-20 minutes, then arrange the edible flowers and orange peels all over the surface.
  • The cake must be stored in the fridge until you are ready to serve it. As long as the cream/yoghurt were well within their use-by date, it will last for 2-3 days.

Notes

  1. I use this tin from Silverwood.
  2. My recipe for DIY Cake Release is absolutely essential for this recipe, because the cake batter is very prone to sticking to the tins.
  3. Make sure to use a Greek yoghurt that has a fat content of 10%: this will make for a perfectly thick, creamy and stable icing.
  4. I used a selection of pressed, edible flowers from Nurtured in Norfolk.
  5. You can find my recipe for Homemade Candied Orange Peels here.