Simple and delicious Greek lemon yoghurt cake

Greek Lemon Yoghurt Cake Yiaourtopita

PUT THE TASTE OF GREECE IN YOUR MOUTH with this yummy, sticky, lemon cake: sun-kissed lemons, herb scented honey from a rocky coastline, creamy thick yoghurt and almonds from the valleys and mountains of the mainland – poli orea

Herb scattered hillsides of Sifnos – Panagia Poulati

Take a countryside walk into the past along cobbled Byzantine pathways to the beautiful church of Poulati; nestled into a rocky cove below where the swimming is like diving into mouthwash. As close to heaven as it gets. When you get back to Apollonia you can pop into the fabulous coffee shop come bakery and have a piece of cake like this from their vast selection.

RECIPE

250g fine semolina

2 lemons, zested

4 eggs

250g softened butter

200g caster sugar

100g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

150 plain yoghurt

3 tbsp lemon juice

SYRUP

150g sugar

2 tbsp honey

250ml water

1/2 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg

Juice of one lemon

METHOD:

Heat oven to 180oC
Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
Gradually add eggs, one at a time, beating after each one till fully mixed.
Add lemon zest and beat.
In a separate bowl, mix together the semolina, flour, baking powder and almond meal.
Gently fold through the beaten eggs, sugar and butter mixture
Add yoghurt and lemon juice and gently fold in flour mixture
Pour into a well greased springform pan.
Will make one large cake or two smaller ones.
Bake for 50-55 minutes.
Meanwhile make the syrup by heating together in a small saucepan and reducing until it thickens slightly and becomes syrupy.
When the cake is cooked, remove from oven.
Pour hot syrup over cake when warm.
Cake will keep for a while in the fridge and improves with time.

Serve with thick yoghurt and decorate with chopped pistachios.

TOP TIP: Thoroughly line your baking tin with non-stick paper because you need to pour the syrup over the cake while it is hot and still in the tin – if you don’t line it properly the acid in the syrup will react with the metal from the tin and make it taste yuk!