Orange Yoghurt Cake by Yvonne

Original recipe from mmintafood

Ingredients for candied oranges
2 medium oranges (or blood oranges)
150g sugar
150ml water

Ingredients for cake
200g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
200g sugar
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
150g thick Greek yogurt
100g butter, melted and cooled down
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 or 2 medium oranges, depending on your cake size (or blood oranges)

Method for candied oranges
1. Mix water and sugar in a saucepan; cook on high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to boil, turn the heat down to medium and cook the syrup for 5 minutes.
2. Cut the unpeeled oranges into 3 mm thick slices. Add to the syrup and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Turn the heat off and set the pot aside for the oranges to cool down in the syrup.
*Make sure the syrup is in sticky texture.

Method for cake
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease an 8" cake pan with butter and dust with flour. (I used disposable one, and I find it rather easy to have the cake removed after baking.)
2. Combine sugar and orange zest in a small bowl, by rubbing them with your fingers. (This can better release the orange  zest aroma.)
3. Mix melted butter with orange zest + sugar in a big mixing bowl. Add yogurt and eggs until combined, then add vanilla extract and mix again.
4. Mix in sifted flour with baking powder and salt, until batter is smooth.
5. Peel the remaining oranges and cut them into slices about 5mm thick. Transfer batter into the prepared cake pan, and place sliced oranges on the top of batter.
6. Bake for about 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then take out of pan to cool completely. Top with the candied oranges and drizzle the syrup.

TADA, LET SWEETNESS FLOW IN YOU! :D

PS. When transferring the batter into the cake tin, pour the batter directly to the middle of the cake tin to allow the batter to spread evenly by itself. Gently tap the cake tin 2 – 3 times on the table to release any air bubbles.