Sunday, December 4, 2011

Yiaourtopita - Greek Lemon and Yogurt Pound Cake



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We've been sharing Turkish meze (appetizers) with friends who also enjoy large meals made from a variety of small plate dishes. I'm by nature a grazer and love the variety that's possible when meals are built this way, but I always have a problem deciding how to end them. The classic dessert choices would be fresh fruit or pudding, but local fruit is in short supply at this time of year and not all our guests would appreciate pudding at the end of a meal. While trying to puzzle what I'd serve, I came across a recipe for a Greek pound cake that was developed by Lynn Livanos Athan. It sounded delicious and I thought it would be a perfect finale to our meze plate supper. The cake is kissed with lemon and made with yogurt, so I thought it would be moist and tender as well as tasty. Fortunately, it did not disappoint. The cake comes together quickly and the only caution I have to share with you involves the yogurt used to prepare it. Use full fat Greek yogurt and drain it for at least 30 minutes before adding it to the batter. That precaution will help prevent the cake from becoming gummy. While the cake can be served with fresh fruit, it also works well as a stand-alone. If you are looking for a new recipe for pound cake you might want to give this version a try. It's very nice and I think you will enjoy it. Here's the recipe.

Yiaourtopita - Greek Lemon and Yogurt Pound Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Lynn Livanos Athan

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, plus 2 whites
2 cups plain yogurt (preferably Greek-style strained yogurt)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Directions:
1) Measure 2 cups yogurt into a fine mesh strainer. Allow to drain for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter a 12 cup bundt or tube pan.
3) Sift flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside.
4) Using a mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and continue to mix for about 5 minutes longer. Add whole eggs and egg whites and continue beating at medium speed until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
5) With mixer on low speed , add flour and yogurt to batter, alternating between each. As soon as the flour and yogurt are completely mixed in, turn off the mixer. Over mixing will cause cake to be tough. Stir in vanilla and lemon zest. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
6) Lower oven heat to 350 degrees F. Bake cake for about 45 to 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting on to a plate. When cool, dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 12 to 16 servings.







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40 comments :

FABBY'S LIVING said...

What a yummy cake with yogurt! I will make this monday. Thanks for sharing. Have a great Sunday. FABBY

Ginny Hartzler said...

That's a lotta yogurt, but it also looks a good bit healthier than most pound cakes!

Pondside said...

I can't pass by a recipe with lemon in the title! It's a lot of yogurt, but I'll give it a try.

My Little Space said...

Mary, this cake sounds wonderful & delicious. I wonder do they serve this anywhere in Turkey too!
Kristy

A Paixão da Isa said...

wuau tudo é muito bom gostei muito do bolo esta muito fofinho e tem uma cor muito bonita asssim que o resto parabens beijinhos e bom domingo

Priya Suresh said...

Fabulous super spongy cake.

Jeannie said...

This cake looks absolutely delicious! I love the fine crumb!

Becki's Whole Life said...

This looks wonderful with the lemon and yogurt...I would think you would want a tangier yogurt for this, too. This is a nice recipe, especially after some of our heavier holiday meals.

Katarina said...

What a lovely cake!

Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine said...

I have been on a lemon kick this looks wonderful!

Tanna said...

I love a good lemon pound cake... so does my Little Man! It even SOUNDS healthy with the yogurt. ;) Thank you, Mary. blessings ~ tanna

cocoa and coconut said...

Looks like a classic Mary!

my cup of tea said...

This looks wonderful! I think I may try it!
~Donna~

Receitas para a Felicidade said...

A perfect cake...

Unknown said...

That cake looks delightful! I might have to give it a try! YUM

Valerie Gamine said...

What a stunning cake! (I can tell how moist it is just by looking at it.) Anything with yogurt has to be delicious! Thanks for the recipe. :D

Mother Rimmy said...

This pound cake is just gorgeous! Love the yogurt too.

Unknown said...

All your cakes are fabulous, Mary and so is this one!! I like the yogurt idea and of course for me that is no problem at all!

Barbara said...

There's something about using yogurt or sour cream in a cake that makes the crumb absolutely perfect. And this one is a beaut! I'll try it and will remember to drain the yogurt first....

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Lemon is being revisited again Mary, and since it is my favourite I know this cake would be added to my bucket list!

Martha said...

Thank you for the recipe! I recently made my first ever pound cake and was pleasantly surprised. This one looks delicious! Blessings~Martha

Debi said...

Delicious sounding. A good one for the holidays.

Unknown said...

I love the texture, send some over please.

Eri said...

Yayyyy!!! Here I am! Your yiaourtopita looks fabulus Mary, I love it!

Banana Wonder said...

what a fantastic recipe! I love a good pound cake... and with greek yogurt and lemon.. I am sold! I can't wait to try this one.

Lenia said...

I am moved when I come across greek recipes in blogs all around the world!This cake looks so refreshing and tasteful!Hugs from Greece,dear Mary!

Amalia said...

Sounds delicious and it really does look moist from the yogurt! I love the lemon too, a really great combination with the yogurt. It looks like a wonderful cake :)

mia xara said...

This cake used to be among my favorites during my school years..Much lighter than a traditional pound cake, yet so flavorful..I have a major craving now..lol

lindalou said...

That sounds really good and I've not found a pound cake recipe that I'm happy with. I like the idea of the yogurt.

Monet said...

Wouldn't this be perfect Christmas morning? With a tall cup of eggnog? Rich but perfect! Thank you for making me smile (and my stomach growl!) I hope you had a blessed Sunday and I wish you a warm and peaceful week.

Deb in Hawaii said...

Such a pretty cake and I love the lemon and yogurt pairing. It looks so moist. ;-)

Joanne said...

I love lemony, refreshing desserts like this to end a meal!

Anonymous said...

This really is a beautiful cake - I love that you use yogurt - it's a must try.
mary x

Unknown said...

I've never met a pound cake I didn't like :) And lemon too??? YUM!!!

That Girl said...

The golden color on this cake is beautiful - like a sunset, the perfect way to end the meal.

Claudia said...

I regularly make a yogurt cake from Orangette. The addition of lemon is grand and shall try it.

David said...

Mary, I like pound cake but I also don't like any cake that's at all dry! The yogurt is a great addition to the mix...and the moisture... Thanks for the recipe! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

Looks beautiful and the yogurt tip is very helpful.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

This cake looks like it has a great crumb - and very moist too.

Sudha said...

Hello Mary,
I just happened to bump into your awesome food blog while surfing the net.You have a whole assortment of delish recipes and I would really love browsing through each of them.So glad to have met you-and following you too:)Do drop into my place sometime!

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