Silvia Colloca is a food writer, TV presenter, opera singer, actor and cookbook author.
Her new book is called ‘Simple Italian Food’.
For more info about the book, click here!
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Torta allo yoghurt e more
(Blackberry and yoghurt tea cake)
SERVES 8–10
10 tablespoons or 150 g caster sugar
3 eggs
5 tablespoons or 125 g thick Greek yoghurt, plus extra to serve (optional)
4 tablespoons or 80 ml olive oil
17 tablespoons or 230 g type 00 flour
1½ tablespoons or 16 g baking powder
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
125 g blackberries
2–3 tablespoons almond flakes, for topping
vanilla gelato, to serve (optional)
Tea cakes are never overly complicated to make, but this recipe takes the concept of easy to the next level, as the unit of measurement is your trusted tablespoon. This is the recipe I turn to whenever my little girl Luna wants to bake with me, as she is in control of the spoon and keeps track of numbers in Italian. Of course, you can convert to using a regular set of scales. The batter is very versatile and you can bake it in a round cake tin if you so prefer. I’ve provided the measurements in both tablespoons and grams/millilitres so that you can choose whatever is easiest for you.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line a 28 cm × 13 cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the yoghurt, olive oil, flour and baking powder and mix until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest, then fold three-quarters of the blackberries through the batter.
Pour the batter into the tin and top with the remaining berries and the almond flakes. Bake for 40–45 minutes until pale golden and puffed and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve as is, or with a dollop of yoghurt or a scoop of gelato.
