Recipes

Lemon Olive Yogurt Cake with Strained Honey

Christopher Siu's Lemon Olive Yogurt Cake with Strained Honey Christopher Siu's Lemon Olive Yogurt Cake with Strained Honey (The Good Stuff)
DifficultyPortionsPrep timeCook time
Novice1 small loafN/AN/A

Ingredients

  • 65g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) castor sugar
  • ½ tbsp lemon zest (from 1-2 lemons)
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ⅛ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 ½ large eggs, room temperature
  • 75g (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
  • 105g (½ cup) Astro Original Balkan Plain Yogourt
  • 105g (¾ cup) all-purpose flour, sifted twice
  • 2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ---FOR THE STRAINED YOGOURT HONEY CREAM---
  • 105g (½ cup) Astro Original Balkan Plain Yogourt
  • 2 tbsp honey (adjust to taste)
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp lemon zest (optional, for brightness)
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • ---FOR THE BASIL-INFUSED MACERATED STRAWBERRIES---
  • 250g (2 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 30g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice (for brightness)
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional, for depth)
  • 4-5 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
  • Pinch of fine sea salt

Directions

For the Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
  2. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and dust with castor sugar.
  3. In a bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar using your fingertips until fragrant. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the oils to infuse.
  4. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and lemon sugar on high speed until pale and tripled in volume (about 3-5 minutes).
  5. In a separate bowl, sift the flour twice with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, yogurt, and lemon juice until smooth.
  6. Gently fold the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture. Then fold in ⅓ of the whipped eggs to lighten the batter. Then fold in the remainder of the eggs. Repeat this process until all ingredients are incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Strained Yogourt Honey Cream

  1. Straight the yogourt. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and place over a bowl. Add the yogourt and let it drain in the fridge for 8-12 hours (longer for a thicker consistency).
  2. Transfer the thickened yogourt to a clean bowl. Stir in the honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and sea salt until smooth.

For the Basil-Infused Macerated Strawberries

  1. In a small bowl, combine sugar and chopped basil. Use the back of a spoon or a mortar and pestle to gently crush the basil into the sugar until fragrant. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the basil oils to infuse.
  2. Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries into halves or quarters.
  3. Toss the strawberries with the basil-infused sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir gently to coat evenly.
  4. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes until the strawberries release their natural juices. For a deeper infusion, refrigerate for up to 2 hours.