Yogurt and Berries Cake

Happy belated 4th of July to all!

The following cake is yet another version of my “Yogurt Squares” (click HERE for the recipe), for which I’ve also posted quite a few versions in THIS post.
This time, I wanted the squares to have more volume and body, so, I started with doubling the amount of yogurt used in my original recipe. Another change was to add the sour cream into the base mixture, rather than use it for a topping. This made for a richer, creamier texture. I also substituted tapioca flour for the cornstarch, which gave the cake a more velvety texture.
I then topped the cake with a mixture of berries and cherries, also thickened with tapioca flour, which kept it nice and shiny throughout the baking and after. The combination of the tangy creamy base, and the fruity topping layer, was just perfect.
The cake is light and not too sweet, making it a perfect summer dessert. As it doesn’t contain gluten, it is also a great addition to a desserts buffet, when such an option is always good to have. Try it and enjoy.

Notes:
* Make sure to use tapioca flour, (which is similar in texture to cornstarch), NOT tapioca pearls.

Makes: 20-24
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 55 minutes
Chilling time: at least 2 hours preferably overnight

Ingredients:
For the yogurt layer:
3 L eggs
1¼ cups sugar
½ cup Tapioca flour (see notes)
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 Tbs lemon zest
35.3 oz (1 Kg) thick yogurt, at least 2% fat (I used Fage)
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
For the berries layer:
1½ cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, chopped strawberries and cherries)
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 Tbs Tapioca flour mixed with 3 Tbs water

1. Preheat the oven to 320F (160C). Line a 7”x11” (18cm x 28cm) baking pan with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, tapioca flour, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk with a hand mixer until frothy. Add the yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice and salt. Whisk again, to an airy and light mixture. Pour into the lined pan, and level the top with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix the fruits in a small pot, add the water and sugar and bring to the verge of boiling. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the tapioca-water slurry, and cook for a minute, just until the mixture thickens. Let cool for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and scatter the fruit mixture all over the top.

4. Place back in the oven and continue baking for 40 minutes. Turn the oven off, and leave the cake inside until it cools down.
5. Cool to room temperature before covering and placing in the fridge, for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Spelt, Yogurt and Olive Oil Burekitas and Roulade, with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese Filling

The following recipe is a free-style version of the Sephardic Burekitas, (small hand pies), which I’ve previously posted here (check THIS and THIS posts).

Onions, Yogurt and Parmesan Cheese Savory Muffins

The following savory muffins will delight anyone who loves sautéed onions, as they contain a hefty amount of them. This time, I aimed at sautéing the onions only until they were soft, not  caramelized, as I wanted to retain a less sweetish onion flavor, that will pair well with the yogurt.

Filo Bake with Spinach, Mint and Cheeses

This tasty dish was inspired by the two others: the Greek Spanakopita, (layers of filo brushed with oil, with greens with Feta cheese filling), and the Bulgarian Banitsa dish (in which the filo sheets are rolled with feta, yogurt and eggs mixture).

Zucchini-Banana Muffins with Dried Fruits, Nuts and Chocolate Chips

Zucchini season is here and, once again, I bought too many. So I’ve decided to use them in some simple  and nutritious muffins.

Leeks and Cheeses Filo Bake

Leeks are at their best in the winter, and when I saw some fresh and plump ones, I immediately grabbed a few. I used a couple of them to make leeks and potatoes patties (recipe can be found HERE), and with the rest I’ve decided to prepare a filo bake.

Peach, Cherries, Coconut and Cacao Nibs Muffins

With plenty of juicy summer fruits available, I usually end up buying more than can keep fresh. One of the solutions for this “problem” is to incorporate such fruits in quick and easy to make breakfast muffins, like the ones you see here.

These light, moist and tasty muffins can also make a great snack for lunch, or any time you feel like having a not too sweet fruity snack. Try them and enjoy.

Lemon-Yogurt Peach and Plum Upside-down Cakes

With such abundance of juicy and tasty summer fruits, I had to use them in a cake as well. As it was hard to decide between using the ripe peach or the plums I’ve had, I’ve decided to opt for the “why choose?” solution, and made two cakes, using the same cake batter.

Lamb Sliders with Tahini-Yogurt Dip

The term “sliders” in food originally described small hamburgers, served in a mini-hamburger bun. But later on, other types of small patties served in mini-breads, were happily sitting under the same definition.

Yogurt, Dried Apricots and Pistachios Squares

Cheese cakes are my favorite cakes, but, at the same time, I find them quite heavy and too sweet, not to mention it takes quite a bit of time to prepare and bake them properly.
So, I went on a mission to create a quick, lighter and less sweet version of cheese cake. I tried low-fat cream cheeses, but didn’t like the taste or texture. Instead, I’ve decided to try to bake a cake using thick yogurt, and just loved the results.

Yogurt and Beet Greens Poached eggs

Poached eggs with yogurt is a familiar dish all over the Middle East, especially in Turkey. There are quite a few variations for the sauce itself, but in all of the recipes I have come across, the eggs are poached separately in water and only then are added to the sauce.

This recipe is different, as I’ve decided to use the yogurt itself as the poaching liquid for the eggs.