GROW FOOD slow food Have your garden and eat it too. A practical guide to organic gardening in the sub-tropics with step-by-step instructions and delicious seasonal recipes. Come with me too on some of my travels in Australia, Europe, Asia and beyond.

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:

  1. Heat oven to 180oC
  2. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
  3. Gradually add eggs, one at a time, beating after each one till fully mixed.
  4. Add lemon zest and beat.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix together the semolina, flour, baking powder and almond meal.
  6. Gently fold through the beaten eggs, sugar and butter mixture
  7. Add yoghurt and lemon juice and gently fold in flour mixture
  8. Pour into a well greased springform pan.
  9. Will make one large cake or two smaller ones.
  10. Bake for 50-55 minutes.
  11. Meanwhile make the syrup by heating together in a small saucepan and reducing until it thickens slightly and becomes syrupy.
  12. When the cake is cooked, remove from oven.
  13. Pour hot syrup over cake when warm.
  14. 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! 

 

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