A yogurt cake is one of my favorite baked desserts to make – it comes together very quickly and easily by hand, and the combination of flavors makes it feel elevated yet comforting. The yogurt (and labneh if you choose that route) makes it wonderfully moist, with a bit of tartness. It’s drizzled with a luscious, warm orange blossom syrup which oozes into the cake. The star of the show, though, is the Apricot Kernels on top, with their fresh, salty crunch that you need a bit of in every bite. When chopping the apricot kernels for the top, the aroma is out of this world. 

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes + 10 minutes for toppings
COOKING TIME: 45-60 minutes, depending on baking vessel.
SERVES: 8 

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups AP flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional!) 
• ⅔ cup Greek yogurt & ⅓ cup labneh (OR 1 cup Greek yogurt) 
• 1 cup sugar (if you prefer a less sweet cake, use ¾ cup)
• 3 eggs 
• 2-3 teaspoons grated orange zest 
• ½ cup melted butter, avocado oil, or algae oil 
• ¾ cup toasted sweet apricot kernels, finely chopped (for topping) 

For the syrup: 

• ⅓ cup fresh orange juice 
• ¾ cup sugar 
• ¾ cup water 
• 2 teaspoons orange blossom water 

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Thoroughly coat your chosen vessel—I recommend either a 10-inch tube pan or a 9×5-inch loaf pan—with a layer of butter or oil, or line with parchment paper (my preference for ease). 
2. Combine the dry elements by sifting the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a bowl. 
3. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl – yogurt/labneh, sugar, eggs, and orange zest – until smooth. 
4. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. 
5. Add the oil, and gently fold it all together. 
6. Pour the batter into your pan. For the tube pan, bake for 45-60 minutes; for the loaf, 40-50 minutes. Test for doneness with a skewer—it should come out clean when the cake is perfectly baked, and be golden on top. 
7. While baking, get started on the syrup: Combine orange juice, water and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture becomes slightly syrupy, then remove from heat and add the orange blossom water. 
8. Prepare the Apricot Kernels: place your apricot kernels on a pan on medium-high heat and dry toast by tossing them every few seconds. After about 4 minutes, take them off and chop finely or use the pulse setting on a food processor. (you can skip toasting, since Ziba roasts these kernels, but I love the way the aroma comes out when chopping after freshly toasting them). 
9. After taking the cake out, allow to rest for a few minutes, then plate on your serving platter and prick the top all over with a skewer, creating little holes for syrup to enter. Drizzle the syrup over the warm cake, filling the holes (you might have a little extra). 
10. Crown your masterpiece with the toasted apricot kernels, allowing them to nestle into the syrup-soaked top and cover the poked holes. 
11. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days (if it lasts that long). 

Notes: 

• I have baked this cake in many different vessels, doubled the recipe, done it in shallow pans, round pans… it really works in everything. Just start checking it around 45 minutes.
• The outside of this cake browns a bit, don’t worry, that’s how it’s supposed to look. 
• This recipe is incredibly forgiving with measurements- I have been rough and rushed when measuring the yogurt and flour and it works every time. 
• This recipe calls for 3/4 cup of apricot kernels, but by all means, use more, they really make this cake and you want some in every bite. 
• You can try this with Ziba’s beautiful pistachios as a topping too – would be delicious!