Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Lemon Yogurt Anything Cake

I don't like yogurt as a snack.  I realize that makes me a bit odd, but there you have it.  So when I bought yogurt to make butter chicken and realized I'd accidentally gotten too much, I figured that was the universe saying I needed to try this recipe.  Why else would I have two extra lemons and a bag of frozen blueberries in the freezer on hand?

I really should have thawed the blueberries as even after leaving the cake in the oven for an hour or so, a tiny bit of it was still undercooked ... oh well, it was still delicious.  I reduced the oil to 1/3 cup and used olive oil.  Go to the original site for ideas on additional variations you can try.  They seem endless.

Lemon Yogurt Anything Cake (from Smitten Kitchen) (from Ina Garten)

Ingredients

 1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsps grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. 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.
2. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
4. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. 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.
5. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
6. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. 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 (a pastry brush works great for this, as does using a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in better). Cool.

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