As you may have guessed if you have been following my blog – I love a good weeknight, no fuss quick mix cake. I read the words lemon yoghurt cake in a cafe, and the idea of what yoghurt would make a cake batter do has been swirling around my mind ever since. In short, it makes the cake the fluffiest I have ever experienced. I have used lemon here but any citrus would work just as well – the fluffy cake is cooled and then topped with hot, sticky citrusy syrup to create a most delicious anytime snack. Enjoy and happy cooking !

Ingredients

For the cake

• 3 eggs
• 220g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 2 lemons, juiced, plus 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 300g (2 cups) self-raising flour, sifted
• 280g (1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt, plus extra, to serve
• 125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

For the Lemon Syrup

• 2 lemons, zest peeled and julienned (optional)
• 110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 80ml (1/3 cup) lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 22 cm springform pan, then line base and side with baking paper.

2. Whisk eggs and sugar for until pale and creamy. Add lemon juice and zest, then whisk for a further minute.

3. Stir in flour, yoghurt and oil until smooth. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, to make syrup,place zest in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and reserve zest. Combine sugar, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water in same saucepan and cook, stirring, over low–medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 3 minutes or until thickened, then return zest to pan. Makes 125ml (1/2 cup).

5. Using a skewer, poke approximately 15 holes all over cake. Pour half the hot syrup over cake, allowing it to sink in, before adding more. Stand cake in pan for 30 minutes.