Recipe: Greek Yogurt Cake with Ouzo-Lemon Syrup (and Hidden Treasures variation)

GREEK YOGURT CAKE WITH OUZO-LEMON SYRUP



"He who gets scalded in the porridges tries to cool down even yogurt" is a Greek saying meaning something like "once burned, twice shy." It also alludes to the implacable coolness of yogurt. Chilled or not chilled, yogurt seems cool. In a cake batter, it smooths the mixture into a sleek satin texture. In Greece, where fresh milk is not much used but cheese and yogurt lie ready at every cook's hand, such a cake is easily made. The cake is often topped with a honey syrup, but I prefer to "frost" it with Greece's bracing aperitif, ouzo, mixed with lemon juice."

Butter or oil, for the cake pan
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped lemon zest
1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose ft our
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
Ouzo-Lemon Syrup (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch springform pan.

2. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the egg yolks all at once, then the yogurt and zest. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together, then sift them into the bowl with the yogurt mixture. Beat to mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Whisk half the whites into the batter mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges of the cake are pulling away from the pan, 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.

5. When it is cool enough to handle, invert the cake pan over a large plate and unmold the cake. If it doesn't fall free right away, use a table knife to gently pry the cake loose.

6. Spoon about one third of the syrup over the cake and allow it to soak in for 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat this process with the remaining syrup two more times. Set the cake aside for at least 1 hour before serving. The cake will keep for several days, covered and stored at room temperature.

OUZO-LEMON SYRUP
Makes 2 cups

"Ouzo reveals its invigorating chill in the way it turns from ice-clear to frosty once water is added. Far too underused in cooking, ouzo combined with lemon in this syrup turns the slightly tart, milky yogurt cake into a very Greek and very unusual sweet."

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup ouzo
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped lemon zest

Place all the ingredients in a medium-size saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer briskly until thickened, 10 minutes. Cool, and use right away or store, covered, in the refrigerator indefinitely.

CAKE VARIATION:

YOGURT CAKE WITH HIDDEN TREASURES
A Byzantine Variation

"Byzantine bakers ornamented whatever dishes they could. One technique was to bejewel a cake with nuts and raisins, or to bury those treasures within. The best thing about the yogurt cake turning Byzantine is that its smooth, thick batter allows you to insert the filling between layers before baking! The secret cache is tucked away in one step."

1 recipe Yogurt Cake batter (recipe above prepared through step 3)
FOR THE FILLING:
1/2 cup golden raisins or dried currants, preferably soaked in Mavrodaphne or other sweet wine
1/2 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or ground doves, or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or a mix

Prepare Yogurt Cake batter through Step 3; set aside.

Mix all the filling ingredients together. Pour half the cake batter in the prepared pan, and shake the pan gently until the batter lies flat, Sprinkle the filling mixture evenly over the batter. Carefully pour the remaining batter over the filling.

Bake, cool, and "frost" the cake with Ouzo-Lemon Syrup as described above.

Makes 1 (10-inch) cake, 12-16 servings
Source: The Olive and the Caper by Susanna Hoffman