Lemon Yogurt Cake
10:54 AM
I find that mid-August truly has the best produce of the year. It is varied, at its peak ripeness and so gorgeous to look at. I have a tendency for my eyes to be bigger than my stomach (or fridge, for that matter) and end up often purchasing too much and scrambling to find uses for all of the "questionable" fruit that I haven't managed to eat up by the end of the week.
In a fruit possessed tirade a week ago I purchased enough berries to feed all of Kansas. I can put a serious dent in some berries - but my efforts weren't quite enough to finish them off.
Luckily, the hubby and I went to a friends house for dinner on Saturday and I was in charge of dessert. I decided something with macerated berries would be perfect - I could chop off all the questionable bits from the strawberries. Since I'd be smooshing them anyway, they didn't need to look perfect (and no one knows you are feeding them the remnants of your fridge).
We used the berries to top of Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake. This cake shouts summer. Light, lemony, and easy to make (cause who wants to be inside all day baking during the summer?) I made a few adjustments to the recipe which I noted below. Overall it was a great end to a BBQ dinner. I packed the cake in foil and glazed it on location for easy transport.
LEMON YOGURT CAKE RECIPE
(Ina Garten)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used non-fat yogurt and substituted 1/3 cup sour cream - so, 2/3 c. yogurt and 1/3 c. sour cream - I like a litte extra tang)
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I also added 1/8 tsp. lemon extract for some added lemon zip)
For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.
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