Fluffy on the outside and creamy underneath, this wholefood yogurt cake offers a delicious way to turn excess yogurt into a sweet, citrusy dessert. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Hunt, who shared a unique recipe he stumbled upon while working with chefs Sam and Sam Clark at the inaugural Wilderness Festival banquets back in 2014.
Tom mentioned that his sister-in-law regularly receives her dairy products from a service called Milk & More, which captures the essence of the traditional milkman experience. Occasionally, they find themselves with surplus yogurt and thankfully decided to pass some along to him. Using one of those jars, Tom was able to recreate the fantastic yogurt cake featured in the Moro Cookbook.
“This tart dessert is a fantastic way to use up yogurt,” he explained. “The recipe originates from Lebanon, and I think it looks especially beautiful when garnished with pistachios and pomegranates. But feel free to get creative with seasonal fruits. If I make it again this autumn, I might top it with poached apple slices.”
Tom reminisced about how Sam and Sam stressed the importance of achieving a soft, slightly runny base for the cake, which gives it that heavenly soufflé-like texture. He advised closely monitoring the bain-marie water temperature, recommending it be around 38°C (warm to the touch) for the best results.
Here’s how to make the cake, which serves six:
**Ingredients:**
– 3 large eggs
– 100g brown or white sugar (he used rapadura sugar)
– A pinch of fine sea salt
– 350g yogurt
– 1 tbsp vanilla paste or 2 tsp vanilla extract
– Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
– Optional: finely grated zest of 1 orange
– 1 heaped tbsp wholemeal spelt flour or plain white flour
– Optional: 4 tbsp shelled pistachios
– Optional: 4 tbsp pomegranate seeds or other seasonal fruit
– Optional: pouring cream for serving
**Instructions:**
1. Begin by separating the eggs into two large bowls. Add 30g of sugar and the salt to the egg whites and whisk until soft peaks form.
2. In the second bowl, combine the remaining sugar with the egg yolks, beating until the mixture thickens. Then stir in the yogurt, vanilla paste, lemon zest and juice, and orange zest if using.
3. Mix in the spelt flour until well combined, then gently fold in the egg whites, being careful not to deflate them.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Pour the batter into a solid 20-25cm cake tin. Place this tin into a larger baking tray with high sides.
5. Carefully pour warm water into the larger tray until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake tin, creating a bain-marie. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top sets like a soufflé while the bottom remains slightly runny.
6. Once out of the oven, feel free to top with chopped pistachios and pomegranate seeds, and serve.
This cake beautifully highlights the delightful flavors and textures that can be achieved with just a handful of ingredients, making it a fantastic addition to any fall gathering.
