Recipe • 21 November 2022

Honey orange traycake

Almonds, vanilla, yoghurt & a kiss of rose water

Serves 12

Total time 1 hour 5 minutes

olive oil
2 large oranges or blood oranges
200g runny honey
200g ground almonds
200g self-raising flour
200g Greek yoghurt
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2 large free-range eggs
optional: rose water

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 20cm x 30cm roasting tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper, then rub it with olive oil. Finely grate the orange zest into a large bowl and put aside, then take your time to very finely slice 1 orange into rounds. Layer it into the tray, drizzle with 100g of honey and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the almonds, flour, yoghurt and vanilla paste to the bowl of orange zest. Crack in the eggs, add 200ml of olive oil, a small pinch of sea salt, the remaining 100g of honey and a small thimble of rose water, if using. Whisk together well. Remove the tray from the oven, gently pour the cake batter over the orange slices, and return to the oven for 35 minutes, or until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Turn the cake out on to a board, and carefully peel away the greaseproof. Nice served warm with a dollop of yoghurt or custard.

RECIPE INSPIRATION

My dear Nan loved a traybaked sponge. With the combination of honey, almonds and orange here reminiscent of Greece, it’s like I’ve sent her on her holidays in the form of a cake! I think she would have really liked this one.