The joy of this cake is that you need only one bowl and one measure. Using a 150 ml yoghurt pot (or any other 150 ml measure), you’ll be able to knock it up effortlessly wherever you are. You can leave it plain, or flavour it as you choose. I love to add caraway – to make a sweetly aromatic, old-fashioned seed cake – but I realise not everyone shares my passion for this feisty little seed. If you’re not so keen, try one of my suggested variations.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
- 150 ml pots plain full-fat or semi-skimmed yoghurt
- 150 ml pot (75 ml) rapeseed oil
- 2 eggs
- 150 ml ml pots caster sugar
- 1 unwaxed orange and finely grated zest
- 150 ml pots plain flour
- 150 ml pot flaked almonds
Equipment
- 2 litre loaf tin, about 25 x 13 cm, or a 1 litre loaf tin, approx 20 x 10 cm, for a deeper cake, lightly greased, base and long sides lined with baking parchment
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4. Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, then add the caraway seeds and toast them gently for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they become fragrant. Pound the seeds lightly (they don’t have to be reduced to a powder) to release their sweet, aromatic flavour.
- Put the yoghurt, oil, eggs, sugar and orange zest into a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon to a smooth, creamy batter. Sift in the flour and beat lightly until well incorporated. Spoon into the prepared tin and sharply tap the tin on the work surface to level the mixture. Sprinkle the flaked almonds evenly over the top.
- Bake in the oven for 45–50 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 20 minutes or so before removing to a wire rack to cool. This cake will keep for a week in an airtight tin.
