Reviving yeast cake: The secret ingredient for lasting softness

Yeast cake is a classic bake that regularly appears on our tables. However, it has one downside – it loses its freshness quite quickly and turns dry. There's a straightforward trick, though, that helps maintain its fluffiness and softness for longer. Simply add one ingredient, and the moist yeast cake will keep its delicate structure and remain pleasantly soft even after several days. The secret lies in cottage cheese, which acts as a natural 'moisturiser', making the bake more elastic and preventing it from crumbling during cutting.

The ideal yeast cake should not only be fluffy and well-risen but, above all, moist. To achieve this effect, it's worth using cottage cheese. This modest ingredient will ensure the cake remains soft and moist even after several days.

In addition to cottage cheese, pay attention to the eggs – they should be well-beaten before being added to the dough. This helps the batter rise better and achieve a uniform consistency. The way you store it is also important – moist yeast cake is best kept in an airtight container or wrapped in foil to maintain freshness for as long as possible.

To prepare the perfect moist yeast cake, you only need a few basic ingredients and a little patience. Here's a tried-and-tested recipe that will allow you to enjoy a delicious bake for a longer period.

Ingredients for the starter:

• about 240 ml of warm milk (1.5% fat),
• about 35 g of fresh yeast,
• 2 teaspoons of sugar,
• 2 teaspoons of flour.

Ingredients for the dough:

• about 500 g of all-purpose flour,
• about 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese,
• about 85 g of vanilla skyr,
• 1 egg,
• about 100 g of erythritol (or less sugar if you prefer the traditional version).

Ingredients for the crumble:

• about 50 g of butter,
• about 50 g of flour,
• about 50 g of erythritol.

How to prepare moist yeast cake step by step?

1. Prepare a baking tin with dimensions 25 x 13 x 8 cm.
2. In a saucepan, heat the milk – it should be warm but not hot. Add yeast, sugar, and flour, mix, and let it stand for 10–15 minutes in a warm place until the starter begins to work.
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add erythritol, skyr, and the beaten egg.
4. Pour in the risen starter and knead the dough until it becomes elastic and doesn't stick to your hands.
5. Cover with a cloth and let rise for about 1.5–2 hours.
6. Mash the cottage cheese with a fork and add it to the risen dough. Mix thoroughly to combine the ingredients well.
7. Transfer the dough to the baking tin and set aside for another 15 minutes.
8. In the meantime, prepare the crumble by mixing butter with flour and erythritol.
9. Sprinkle the cake with the crumble, then place it in the oven preheated to 170°C. Bake for about 45 minutes.

To keep the yeast cake fresh and moist for as long as possible, store it in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Yeast cake without any additions can also be stored wrapped in a linen cloth in a cool place.