TWD: French Yogurt Cake

Wow, what a slacker I've been in the posting department. Always seems to happen mid-month, but I've got the cutest bagels coming right up later this week. You'll just want to pinch their cute little bagel-y cheeks.

On to this week's TWD pick by Liliana - this was one I was glad to see, and for multiple reasons. Okay, really just one. One reason, one bowl, one spoon, one pan. One happy girl.

I did change it up a bit, mostly because I found some shelled pistachios (in bulk! in my local grocery!) and decided that I needed them. Unfortunately, since the boyfriend was there, I needed some sort of excuse. So I just told him that I needed them for this yogurt cake, and proceeded to bag up three times as many as I knew I needed. Sneaky, aren't I?


The smell was absolutely fabulous, made more so by the excessive amount of citrus zest I put in it - both a lemon and a lime sacrificed their zest for this cake, because citrus means sunny to me. And since it was finally sunny and warm (a whole 55 degrees F!) outside, I wanted my baking to join in on the fun.

Word to the wise though. Well, actually two things. One, make sure your (or your boyfriend's, *ahem*) baking powder isn't expired. Or else you get a sort of sad, flat cake that's still pretty darned tasty. And two, grease the heck out of your loaf pan. Unless, that is, you want a little taste of what the cake will be like without cutting into it and possibly having it dry out because then you just let it stick a little bit to the bottom of the pan and scrape it out with your fingers and eat it right then and there (ow, burny fingers!) but make sure the boyfriend doesn't see and request a taste because it's your cake, darnit! *deep breath*


In other words, make this cake. It's simple, it's tasty, and it's fabulously open to any spin you want to put on it. I totally would have put rosewater in instead of vanilla if I had fancy schmancy ingredients like that. But don't let that stop you from doing something wild and crazy like that. I would never stand in the way of wild and crazy baking.

Last Week: Espresso Cardamom Custard
Next Week: Blueberry Crumb Cake (just in time for spring and fresh fruit :) )

French Yogurt Cake (adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my home to yours)

1 cup sugar
zest from 1 lemon and 1 lime
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup finely ground pistachios
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease a loaf pan (I used a 9 x 5, but you get greater height using a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2).

Combine the zest and sugar in a medium bowl, rubbing together with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant. Whisk in the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla.

Sift the dry ingredients into the batter. Mix until just combined.

Fold in the oil. It might not want to cooperate at first, just give it time. The batter should be smooth and glossy.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out and cooling on a rack.