Greek Yogurt Cake (Yiaourtopita)
This is the cake that every Greek makes on New Years Day. They actually bake it with a coin in the middle of it. Yes, that is the tradition. And the person who finds the coin will have the best luck for that coming new year! You can do it as well, just wrap a quarter or dime in aluminum foil and when your pouring your batter, just stop half way and plant the coin on one side of the cake. As children (and adults), we would all keep taking a second slice to get the coin!
This version was made for Mother’s Day. I topped the cake with whip cream and some fresh fruit. It was divine. However, traditionally, this cake is made with JUST some powdered sugar sprinkled on top. I’ve never tried it, but I also think a chocolate drizzle would be delicious here as well.
So clearly the ingredient list is again, straight forward and typical. You probably have these ingredients in your kitchen already. They come together to produce and moist and fluffy cake that will have you coming back for more.
Make sure you use 5 % fat Greek yogurt for optimal fluffiness. It is just one small container of Fage Greek yogurt.
Greek Yogurt Cake (Yiaourtopita)
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 7 oz Greek yogurt (5% fat)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted + cooled
- zest of half an orange
- zest of half a lemon
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease your 9” round cake pan with butter (you can also use an 8×8” brownie pan if thats what you have). I used a springform pan.
- Separate your eggs into two bowls, one with the whites and one with the yolks. The bowl with the whites should be large.
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat each for 30 seconds. Add the beaten yolks, vanilla, yogurt, butter and zests to the egg whites. Beat until creamy. Next add the powered sugar and mix until just incorporated. Lastly, add the flour and baking soda and mix until no flour is visible. Transfer batter to your pan and spread out evenly with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes prior to removing from pan. Allow to cool completely if decorating with whip cream and berries. You can also just top with some powdered sugar to serve. I also topped mine with some lemon zest as a final garnish.
