Celebrity Chef
Irish Yoghurt Clonakilty Cranberry and Orange Cake.
Ingredients
Cake
- 125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
- 200g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ½ orange zest and juice
- 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
- 250g plain flour
- 1 heaped tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 100g Irish Yoghurt Clonakilty Greek Style Yoghurt, plus extra to serve
- 150g fresh cranberries
Topping
- 150g fresh cranberries
- ½ orange, juice
- 60g caster sugar
- 150g icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 23cm springform round tin with baking parchment.
2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. In a jug, combine the beaten eggs, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla.
4. Add this mixture to the creamed butter in 3–4 additions, fully incorporating each before adding more.
5. Fold in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice.
6. Fold in the Irish Yogurt Clonakilty Greek Style Yogurt until the batter is smooth.
7. Transfer ¼ of the batter to the tin. Scatter a handful of cranberries in a line over this layer.
8. Fold the remaining cranberries into the rest of the batter and spoon into the tin.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
10. Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Topping
1. Heat the cranberries, orange juice and caster sugar in a small pan for about 5 minutes until half the berries have popped and the rest are softened.
2. Strain through a fine sieve, reserving the softened fruit.
3. Mix 2–3 tablespoons of the strained liquid with the icing sugar to make a thick icing.
4. Stir the softened fruit into the remaining strained liquid.
5. Pour and spread the icing over the cooled cake and allow it to drip slightly down the sides.
6. Top with the softened fruit.
Serving suggestion: Serve with a spoonful of Irish Yogurt Clonakilty Greek Style Yogurt.
Chefs’ tips:
- If the batter begins to curdle while adding the egg mixture, add a spoonful of the flour mixture — it stabilises the batter and keeps the cake light.
- Scatter a little orange zest over the icing for a bright, fragrant finish.
- For a decorative flourish, add a few candied rosemary stalks on top. To make these, dip fresh rosemary sprigs lightly in sugar syrup, then toss in caster sugar and allow to dry — they look frosted and pair beautifully with the cranberry flavour.
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