Orange cake with labne

SERVES 8 PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS (+ REFRIGERATION & STANDING)

9 egg whites

270g butter, melted

1½ cups (180g) almond meal

2¼ cups (360g) icing sugar

¾ cup (100g) plain flour

2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 oranges (480g)

¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice

1½ cups (330g) caster sugar

VANILLA LABNE

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1kg Greek yoghurt

½ teaspoon sea salt flakes 2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 VANILLA LABNE Stir ingredients in a medium bowl until combined. Spoon yoghurt mixture into a sieve lined with two layers of muslin (or a clean Chux cloth); place over a medium bowl. Tie cloth close to yoghurt. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, twisting the yoghurt ball at the top occasionally, or until thick. Stir labne until smooth.

2 Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fanforced). Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan; line base and side with baking paper. 3 Whisk egg whites, butter, almond meal, icing sugar, sifted flour, rind and nutmeg in a large bowl until well combined. Pour mixture into pan.

4 Bake cake for 1 hour 40 minutes (cover with foil halfway through cooking to prevent overbrowning) or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave cake in pan for 10 minutes before turning, topside up, onto a wire rack over an oven tray.

5 Meanwhile, remove rind from oranges in long strips with a zester. Squeeze juice from oranges; you need ½ cup (125ml) juice. Stir orange and lemon juices, caster sugar and strips of orange rind in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil for 5 minutes or until syrup thickens. Remove from heat. Reserve 2 tablespoons syrup and rind. Pour remaining hot syrup over hot cake.

6 Serve cooled cake with vanilla labne and reserved syrup and rind.

Cake suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.