I wanted to make a light dessert for summer last week and so I made Lemon-Ouzo Mousse and Yogurt Cake with Roasted Strawberry Syrup. My original plan was to make a 4–layer lemon cake, but the cake was too dense and heavy for the mousse filling and so I decided to use the cake as a base for the mousse instead. It turned out really great—refreshing with bold flavors and interesting textures.

The cake base is yummy enough to eat on its own without the mousse. It turned out incredibly moist and rich and would be great drizzled with a light lemon syrup or lemon icing. For the cake, I used thick Greek yogurt and lots of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. For the mousse, in addition to fresh lemon juice, I added a small amount of Greek Ouzo, which is a sweet anise flavored liqueur and goes really well with the lemon flavor and roasted strawberry syrup.

So next time you’re making a dessert and it doesn’t turn out exactly as you had planned rethink the design and use the ingredients in another way. You’ll end up with a great tasting, beautifully presented dessert. Enjoy!