Light Summer Cake With Vanilla Yogurt Mousse And Strawberry Compote

If you're like us and have a major sweet tooth, then the summer months present a pretty serious challenge. Rich, dense cakes are absolutely delicious, but it's just too hot to bake and eat desserts like that! This recipe is the perfect solution to all of those summer problems. The cake gets baked in a simple, new way that makes its texture turn out light and airy, then it gets topped off with a creamy homemade vanilla yogurt mousse, strawberry compote, and fresh berries. Don't be fooled – just because this cake is refreshing doesn't mean it won't hit all of those important sugary sweet spots! Plus, making a simple, light cake like this one means you get to go back for seconds!

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty Level: Moderate

You'll Need:

For the vanilla yogurt mousse:

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 vanilla bean pod
• zest & juice of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp unflavored gelatin powder
• 2 cups whipped cream

For the cake:

• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• ⅔ cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ stick butter, cubed

For the strawberry compote:

• 1 lb strawberries, quartered
• ⅓ cup strawberry jam

For the topping:

• mixed berries
• sliced almonds, toasted

Here's How:

1. For the vanilla yogurt mousse, scrape the caviar out of the vanilla bean pod and dissolve the unflavored gelatin powder in a small amount of water. Stir together the plain yogurt, powdered sugar, vanilla bean caviar, gelatin mixture, and the zest & juice of 1 lime. Transfer the yogurt mixture to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place a 9 x 13-inch baking pan in the oven for at least 15 minutes. For the cake, whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then add in the sugar, salt, milk, and flour and continue to whisk everything together until a smooth batter forms.

3. Once the baking pan has preheated, remove it from the oven and turn the oven up to 475°F. Melt the cubed butter directly inside the preheated baking pan and pour in the cake batter. Transfer the baking pan to the oven and bake at 475°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes have passed, reduce the heat to 350°F and continue to bake the cake for another 15 minutes. Once the cake has baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.

4. Once the cake has cooled, remove the chilled yogurt mixture from the refrigerator and carefully fold in the whipped cream. For the strawberry compote, stir together the quartered strawberries and strawberry jam, then spoon the compote into the crevices in the cake. Cover the layer of strawberry compote with a generous layer of vanilla yogurt mousse. 

5. Add a layer of fresh mixed berries and toasted sliced almonds on top.

This cake's textures and flavors are out of this world. Watching the craters bubble up in the oven is a sight to behold, but the best part is filling in those gaps with delicious strawberry compote and creamy vanilla yogurt mousse. Wait, we take that back – the best part is definitely taking that dreamy first bite!

Get the recipe for the Polish Karpatka Cake With Vanilla Cream featured in the bonus video.