This heavenly Greek Yogurt Cake (Yiaourtopita) combines moist, tender crumb with sweet syrup for an irresistible Mediterranean dessert.
Perfect for special occasions or weekend treats, this traditional recipe delivers 502 calories of pure indulgence per slice.
The Greek yogurt adds a subtle tanginess and creates an incredibly soft texture that melts in your mouth, while the syrup soak transforms each bite into a blissful experience.
Ingredients Needed
- Sugar: 1 cup + 1/8 cup, provides perfect sweetness for the cake
- Butter: 3/4 cup, ensure it’s at room temperature for best results
- Self-rising Flour: 2 1/4 cups, makes the cake wonderfully fluffy
- Greek Yogurt: 1 cup, creates moisture and tanginess
- Eggs: 5, separated into yolks and whites
- Baking Powder: 3 teaspoons, for extra lift
- Citrus Zest: 1 lemon and 1 orange, adds wonderful aroma
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon, enhances overall flavor
For the Syrup
- Water: 1 1/2 cups
- Sugar: 1 1/2 cups
- Cognac: 3-4 tablespoons
- Vanilla Extract: 1/2 teaspoon
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Syrup: Combine syrup ingredients in a pot, bring to boil for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Set aside to cool.
- Beat Egg Whites: Whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until glossy peaks form. Set aside.
- Prepare Dry Mix: Sift together flour and baking powder.
- Cream Butter: Beat butter and sugar for 15 minutes until fluffy and pale.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Add egg yolks one at a time, then mix in yogurt, zests, and vanilla.
- Final Mix: Alternately fold in flour mixture and meringue in thirds.
- Bake: Pour into a buttered 26cm cake tin. Bake at 175°C for 50-60 minutes.
- Add Syrup: While cake is hot, slowly pour cool syrup over top, allowing it to absorb.
- Serve: Let cool completely and serve with fresh fruits, yogurt, or ice cream.
Key Baking Tips
Getting your Greek yogurt cake just right comes down to a few simple but important details! Room temperature butter is your best friend here – it’ll cream beautifully with the sugar to create that perfect cake texture.
When working with your egg whites, make sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean and dry – even a tiny drop of water or grease can prevent them from whipping up properly.
Fold in those fluffy egg whites gently using upward motions to keep all that lovely air in the batter – this is what makes your cake light and airy!
Make It Your Own
While this classic Greek cake is wonderful as is, you can add your personal touch! Try swapping the cognac in the syrup with brandy or even a splash of orange liqueur. Not a fan of citrus zest?
Replace it with a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or cardamom for a warm, spicy twist. The yogurt is key to the cake’s moisture, but you can use any variety – full-fat Greek yogurt gives the richest results, while regular plain yogurt works well too.
Serving & Storage
This syrup-soaked cake tastes best when completely cool – patience pays off! Serve it with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh berries for breakfast, or dress it up with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey for dessert.
The syrup keeps this cake wonderfully moist for several days – just store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You can even cut it into portions and freeze them for up to 3 months – just thaw overnight when you’re ready for a slice!
Troubleshooting Tips
If your cake seems to brown too quickly on top but isn’t done in the middle, simply cover it loosely with foil to prevent over-browning. When adding the syrup, it might look like too much at first, but don’t worry – the cake will soak it all up!
If the syrup pools on top, just poke a few extra holes with your skewer and wait a few more minutes between each addition. The cake should feel moist but not soggy when done.
Greek Yogurt Cake Soaked in Syrup (Yiaourtopita)
Equipment
- round cake tin (26cm diameter)
- electric mixer
- wooden skewer or toothpick
Ingredients
For the Yogurt cake
- 1 1/8 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup butter room temperature
- 2 1/4 cup self rising flour
- 1 cup yogurt
- 5 eggs separated into yolks and whites
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 orange zested
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the syrup
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 3-4 tbsp cognac
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- To prepare the syrup, add all the ingredients for the syrup in a small pot and bring to the boil. Boil for about 2-3 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup has slightly thickened. Leave aside to cool.
- Divide the eggs into yolks and whites. Place the egg whites in the mixer’s bowl, along with a pinch of salt. Make sure your egg whites, bowl and whisk attachments are clean and free of any water. Whisk the egg whites until the mixture is very thick and glossy and a long trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted (meringues). Place the mixture in a bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, sift the flour and the baking powder and blend.
- Use an electric mixer, to mix the butter and sugar for about 15 minutes, until the butter is creamy and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whilst mixing, allowing time for each one to be absorbed, before adding another. Add the yogurt, the orange and lemon zest and the vanilla extract and blend to combine. Add 1/3 of the sifted flour and blend, using a maryse spatula. Add 1/3 of the meringues and blend with light circular movements from the bottom up. Repeat with the rest of the flour and meringue.
- Preheat the oven to 190C. Butter the bottom and sides of a 26cm round cake tin and pour in the mixture.
- Place the cake in the preheated oven, on the lower rack, turn the heat down to 175C and bake for 50-60 minutes, until nicely coloured and cooked through. Check if it is ready by inserting a wooden skewer or toothpick in the middle – it should come out clean.
- Ladle slowly the cold syrup over the hot cake, allowing each ladle of the syrup to be absorbed before adding more.
- Serve cold with fresh fruits, yogurt or ice-cream.