My sister-in-law gets her dairy products delivered weekly from an outfit called Milk & More, whose business model is designed to preserve the legacy of the traditional milkman. A routine weekly order suits her family very well, though sometimes they do accrue an excess, which they often give to us. She recently dropped by three jars of brilliant organic yoghurt, and I used one to make a wholefood version of Sam and Sam Clark’s amazing yoghurt cake from the Moro Cookbook.
Wholefood yoghurt cake
This tart dessert is a delicious way to turn an excess of yoghurt into a sweet treat. I first cooked it with Sam and Sam Clark at a dinner for the inaugural Wilderness Festival banquets in 2014. It was a dream come true, working alongside two of my all-time heroes and preparing a feast of dishes. This recipe originates from Lebanon, and it’s especially beautiful served topped with pistachios and pomegranates. That said, it would also work with a seasonal twist, so use whatever fruit you have to hand – if I make it again this autumn, I think I’d serve it topped with some slices of poached apple.
When we made this dish at Wilderness, the two Sams were very clear that they wanted the base to be soft and a touch liquid. This made the cake all the more delicious, because it came out a bit like a good souffle, all fluffy on top and creamy underneath. To keep a soft base, make sure the water in the bain-marie isn’t too hot: about 38C, or warm to the touch, should be enough.
Makes 1 cake, to serve 6
3 large eggs
100g brown or white sugar – I used rapadura sugar
A pinch of fine sea salt
350g yoghurt
1 tbsp vanilla paste, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
1 heaped tbsp wholemeal spelt flour, or plain white flour
4 tbsp shelled pistachios (optional)
4 tbsp pomegranate seeds, halved grapes or other seasonal fruit (optional)
Pouring cream, to serve (optional)
Separate the eggs into two large bowls. Add 30g of the sugar and the salt to the egg white bowl, then whisk to soft peaks.
Beat rest of the sugar into the egg yolks until the mix thickens, then stir in the yoghurt, vanilla paste, lemon zest and juice and the orange zest, if using.
Add the spelt flour, mix until everything is well combined, then gently fold in the egg whites, taking care not to knock out the air.
Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Pour the batter into a solid 20-25cm cake tin, then lift this into a larger baking tray with high sides. Put the tray in the oven, then make a bain-marie by carefully pouring warm water into the larger baking tray until it comes halfway up the sides of the cake tin. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top half of the cake is set a bit like a souffle and the bottom is still a little runny.
Remove, top with an optional scattering of chopped pistachios and pomegranate seeds (I used about four tablespoons of each), then serve.
