Recipe for Greek Style Almond and Yogurt Cake

Written by Greek Boston in Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Desserts Recipes Comments Off on Recipe for Greek Style Almond and Yogurt Cake

Variations of this rich cake can be found all over Greece. This version is made with almonds and Greek yogurt and is then finished with a lemon-scented syrup.

Greek Style Almond and Yogurt Cake with Syrup (Tou Giaourtiou) Recipe Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup semolina (finely ground if you can find it)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup Greek brandy (Metaxa)
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 cup chopped, unblanched almonds

For the Syrup:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup Greek honey
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons Greek brandy (Metaxa)

How to Bake Greek Yogurt Cake With Syrup:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 10-inch round cake pan with cooking spray or brush it with a thick layer of Greek olive oil.

Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl. Set aside the remaining sugar in a small dish. Add the egg yokes and beat the mixture together on medium speed until the two ingredients are combined and the yokes are a light yellow color. Add the butter, yogurt, and semolina and beat together until combined.

Add the flour and baking powder to a sifter and sift into the egg yoke mixture. Beat on medium-low speed and slowly add the brandy and lemon zest. Stop beating when the mixture is smooth and combined. Be careful not to over beat or else the cake might be a little too dense. Set aside.

You’ll want to use clean beaters for the next step. Add the egg whites to a medium bowl. Using the clean, dried beaters, beat the whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the egg yoke mixture using a large rubber spatula.

When the mixture is smooth, pour it into the prepared cake pan. Top the pan onto the counter a few times so the batter can settle evenly. Place the pan in the center of the oven and let it bake until the top is a golden brown color and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This should take about 40 minutes.

Make the syrup while the cake is baking. Add the sugar, honey, water, and lemon zest to a medium saucepan. Set the heat to medium and let the mixture come to a boil. Once it does, let it simmer on low for about 5-10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it stand.

Remove the cake from the oven once it is done. Keep the cake in the pan. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, spoon the syrup evenly over the cake. You can remove the lemon zest from the syrup before you put it on the cake, but you don’t have to if you don’t want.

**Recommended cook times for GreekBoston.com Greek recipes vary depending on elevation, environmental conditions, the cookware being used, and the nature of the oven or stove. Although we have given approximations, these don’t always take into account your unique environment.

Categorized in: Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Desserts Recipes

This post was written by Greek Boston