Yogurt, Lemon and Sambuca Cake

I cannot overstate how unbelievably good this cake is. The recipe comes from: ”Marcella Cucina” cookbook by Marcella Hazan, which I’ve enhanced slightly by making it lighter (in sugar and flour) and fresher – by grating and folding into the batter some fragrant Amalfi lemon zest.

Ingredients :

• 185 g of whole milk yogurt at room temperature
• 250 g of sugar
• 3 medium eggs at room temperature
• 160 g of corn oil (you could use olive oil instead)
• a pinch of salt
• grated zest from half a lemon
• 185 g of plain flour, sifted
• 90 g of cornflour, sifted
• one and half teaspoons of baking powder, sifted
• a pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons of Sambuca
• butter for greasing

Grease with butter a round cake tin, 22-24 cm in diameter, and line with a sheet of baking paper.

Preheat the oven  to 180 C – static.

Combine the sugar and the yogurt in the mixing bowl of a standing mixer.  Mix the ingredients on a low to medium speed (use a paddle attachment).

Whilst mixing pour in the oil of your choice and start adding the eggs, one at the time.

Now add the salt and the lemon zest and mix well.

Combine the flours and the baking powder together, then add them, a little at a time, to the yogurt batter, stirring constantly making sure there are no lumps.

Swirl the Sambuca liqueur. The consistency of the batter should be that of a thick cream.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool down to room temperature before turning it onto a serving plate and serving.

Dust with icing sugar to decorate if you wish.

The yogurt-oil cake will keep for 3-4 days when wrapped well in aluminium foil and kept in a cool environment.