Yogurt Cake (Yiaourtini)

1/2 pound butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 egg yolks
1 cup yogurt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
6 egg whites
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 shot glass cognac
1 teaspoon baking soda

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
3 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and baking powder and set aside.

Cream the butter well. Add the sugar and continue beating until very light. Add egg yolks one by one and continue beating. Slowly add yogurt and dry ingredients alternately. Whip egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Fold in chopped walnuts. Mix the baking soda with the cognac and fold into the batter. Pour into pan and bake 45-55 minutes.

While the yiaourtini is baking, prepare syrup. Bring the ingredients to a boil and gently boil for 20 minutes.

Let both the yiaourtini and syrup cool for about 20 minutes and then very slowly pour the syrup over the yiaourtini. You may not need all of the syrup. Cut into diamond shapes. Cover to keep cake moist.