Name: Almond and Yogurt Cake with Citrus Syrup (Tou Giaourtiou)
Yield: Makes one 10-inch round cake
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: Whole zest from ½ lemon, removed in strips with a vegetable peeler; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 3 large eggs, separated; 1 cup sugar; 1½ cups sugar, or 1 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons honey, or 4–5 tablespoons marmalade; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1¼ cups water; ⅓ cup brandy Grated zest of 1 lemon; 1 cup coarsely chopped unblanched almonds; 3–4 tablespoons brandy; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup yogurt; 1 cup fine semolina

Preparation info

Makes
one
10 inch round cake

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Foods of the Greek Islands

By Aglaia Kremezi

Published 2000

About

MY GRANDMOTHER, mother and aunt used to make this cake for family feasts, often cutting it into two layers with a piece of string and filling it with sweet cream to turn it into something more elaborate and festive. Its name means “the one with the yogurt.” It is also called yaourtopita on some islands, and there are plenty of variations on the basic formula.

The idea for the crunchy almond-and-sugar topping was given to me by Despina Drakaki, a friend and ex