Apple and Greek Yogurt Cake with Metaxa Brandy Syrup Recipe

Taken from Smashing Plates by Maria Elia (Kyle Books; £19.99)

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 125g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 190g self-raising flour, plus extra for flouring
• 200g caster sugar
• 5 free-range eggs
• 250g Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1.5cm pieces

For the syrup:

• 150ml water
• 150g caster sugar
• 75g runny honey
• 75ml Greek brandy (Metaxa)

To serve:

• 60g toasted walnuts
• Greek yogurt or crème fraîche

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Grease and flour a 20cm springform tin

2. Whisk together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale. Gradually beat in the eggs until combined, then stir in the yogurt. Sift in the baking powder, cinnamon and flour, mix until combined, then add the diced apple. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin while you make the syrup

3. Combine the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer until the liquid has thickened to a syrup

4. Pierce the surface of the cake with a skewer and pour the syrup over the top, leaving a little to toss the walnuts in. Leave the syrup to soak into the cake for about 10 minutes, then sprinkle with walnuts tossed in syrup and serve with Greek yogurt or crème fraîche