Yoghurt cake with rhubarb and raspberries

This yoghurt cake with rhubarb and raspberries is absolutely delicious! The yoghurt cream is inspired by the sour cream filling from my recent strawberry cake. Combined with roasted rhubarb, raspberries (frozen work perfectly out of season) and plenty of raspberry jelly, it creates a wonderfully refreshing spring dessert that’s delicately sweet and beautifully light.

Ingredients for the sponge cake:

• 3 large eggs
• 100 g caster sugar
• 75 g plain flour
• 30 g potato starch (or cornflour)

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Sift the flour and starch together.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks and whisk the whites until stiff peaks form, taking care not to overwhip them. Towards the end of whisking, gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the egg yolks one by one, continuing to whisk. Add the sifted flour mixture and gently fold it in using a spatula or balloon whisk. Do not use a mixer at this stage.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper. Do not grease the sides.  Transfer the batter to the tin and level the surface.

Bake at 160–170°C for approximately 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the hot sponge from the oven and immediately drop the tin from a height of about 30 cm onto the floor or countertop. Leave to cool completely.

Once cooled, cut the sponge horizontally into two layers. Note: Run a knife around the edges of the sponge only after it has completely cooled.

Ingredients for the roasted rhubarb:

• 400 g rhubarb, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste

Arrange the rhubarb in a small baking dish and drizzle with the honey, lemon juice and vanilla.

Bake at 200°C for 12–15 minutes, stirring gently once halfway through baking. The rhubarb should be soft but still hold its shape. Remove from the oven, leave to cool and drain the syrup.

Ingredients for the yoghurt cream:

• 600 g Greek yoghurt (full-fat, not light)
• icing sugar, to taste
• seeds from 1 vanilla pod, vanilla paste or vanilla sugar, to taste

Place the yoghurt in a bowl. Sweeten with icing sugar and flavour with vanilla to taste, stirring with a spoon. The cream should be lightly sweet and delicately vanilla-flavoured. Depending on the yoghurt used, the mixture may be fairly loose.

Additionally:

• 200 g raspberries, fresh or frozen (use frozen without thawing)
• 2 packets raspberry jelly

Prepare the jelly using half the amount of water recommended on the packet (that is, dissolve both packets in 500 ml of water). Leave to cool.

Assembly:

Place the first sponge layer onto a serving plate and secure it inside a cake ring or the springform ring. Divide the yoghurt cream into two portions. Spread one portion over the first sponge layer and top with half of the roasted rhubarb. Place the second sponge layer on top. Spread over the remaining yoghurt cream, then arrange the remaining rhubarb and raspberries on top, gently pressing the berries into the cream. Leave the cake at room temperature for at least 4–5 hours. Then refrigerate for several hours.

Place the jelly in the fridge and allow it to thicken slightly. When it reaches a lightly thickened, pourable consistency, pour it over the top of the cake and chill until set. You can stop here for a lighter version of the cake.

I additionally whipped 250 ml of chilled double cream and used it to decorate both the sides and the top of the cake after chilling.

Store the yoghurt cake with rhubarb and raspberries in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!