Name: Labne Cake
Yield: Makes 1 cake
Ingredients: 500 grams Labne (or greek yogurt) (2 cups); 5 eggs - yolks and whites separated; 5 grams vanilla extract (1 1/2 tsp); 125 grams (1 cup) cornstarch; 170 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar; 20 grams (1 tbs) Orchidea (or try Yemen); Powdered sugar for dusting

I had this cake, growing in the kibbutz, for Shabbat every week as a child in the Galilee. Decades later I still make it and it brings back so many memories. I don't know where it came from or how it started but seeing the cake fresh out of the oven meant it was Saturday and it still does today.

Labne Cake

Lior Lev Sercarz

Servings/Yield

Makes 1 cake

Ingredients

500 grams Labne (or greek yogurt) (2 cups)
5 eggs - yolks and whites separated
5 grams vanilla extract (1 1/2 tsp)
125 grams (1 cup) cornstarch
170 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
20 grams (1 tbs) Orchidea (or try Yemen)
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375F degrees.
Grease a round 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
In a bowl mix the labne, egg yolks, vanilla, Orchidea spice and cornstarch until smooth.
Using a stand or hand mixer whip the egg whites while slowly adding to the sugar in small batches until you obtain a stiff peak.
Gently fold the egg whites into the labne mixture with a rubber spatula.
Pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until you get a nice brown color on top.
Reduce the heat to 325F degrees and bake for another 20 minutes.
Let the cake cool down a bit before un-molding and dusting the top with powdered sugar.