Yoghurt & marmalade loaf cake.

Wow, I definitely seem to be in the baking mood (to the apparent delight of my loved ones and stomach, and horror of my rapidly expanding waistline). This is one of my most favourite loaf cakes, mainly due to it being criminally moist yet supremely fresh due to the tangy sweet orange flavour permeating the soft sponge. 

This is definitely a summer cake, what with the light moist flavours and focus on zingy fruit, but I quite like making it when it's cold outside, as it reminds me of the warmer months to come. 

On top of all these fabulous positives, my favourite thing about this cake has to be the ease with which it is assembled - I maintain it is easier (plus a million times tastier) than walking all the way to the shops and buying one. Plus I've never seen these flavours in my local Co-op before (more fool them). It is what my grandmother would term a "suck it and see" job; bung the ingredients in, give it a mix and bake. If they're not perfectly measured, so what? If you add an extra ingredient, so what? Definitely my kind of cooking, especially on a lazy afternoon when measuring half a teaspoon of raspberry puree seems completely beyond my abilities as a baker. I think this recipe originally came from delicious magazine, but I've made quite a few tweaks to it such as adding lemon zest, which doesn't necessarily alter the flavour of the cake, but I think makes it taste even fresher, lifting up the juicy orange flavours and making them party in your mouth. Tasty. 

Yoghurt & orange marmalade loaf cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups plain flour

2tsp baking powder

1 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1 cup greek yoghurt

orange 

zest of 1 orange

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup vegetable oil

5tbsp orange marmalade (the best quality you can find)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line a loaf tin.

2. Measure all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until combined and smooth. 

3. Pour into the loaf tin (yes, it is that simple) and bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown on   

    top and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. 

4. Take out of the oven and turn onto a cooling rack.

5. Whilst cooling, heat up 5tbsp of the marmalade with 1tsp of water   until melted and of 

    pouring consistency.

6. Prick holes in your warm cake with a skewer and pour the marmalade glaze over the cake, 

    spooning any larger lumps over the top, then leave to cool slightly. 

It really is a masterpiece. Slightly different from your run-of-the-mill cake, and bound to impress with its texture and flavour, no matter who you serve it to. Result.