Cherry Yogurt Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup yogurt (200 ml tub)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour, sifted (plus 1/4 cup if the batter is too thin)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Juice of 1 whole lemon
• Zest of 1 whole lemon
• 1 sachet vanilla powder or 1 tsp liquid
• 1 sachet baking powder or 1 tbsp
• 1 cup pitted red cherries, dusted with flour

Frosting

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (or homemade: 1/2 cup milk powder, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup milk stirred until thick)
• 1 tin cream (qashta)
• 4 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh pitted cherries
• Cherries, lemon and mint leaves, for garnish

Method

1. Beat the eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar, add the yogurt, then the flour, baking powder, lemon juice and zest gradually until smooth. Butter and flour a tin, add some cherries, then the batter, then the rest of the cherries.
2. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes until cooked and golden.
3. Blend the condensed milk, cream and cream cheese and divide in two: keep one half white and blend the other with the cherries for a pretty color. Refrigerate until the cake is completely cool.
4. Turn out the cake, spread the white layer, then the cherry layer, and decorate with cherries, lemon and mint leaves.