Recipe Exchange: French yogurt cake - masslive.com

Is a spring birthday arriving soon? What should you bake? Something good, of course, but should it be cake? Recently, I was asking myself these very questions. My husband’s birthday was fast approaching, and this year it’s just the two of us celebrating at home.

My first thought was oatmeal cookies. However, we had no raisins and I’m working very hard to stay at home, away from the stores. My second thought was sugar cookies. Unfortunately for me, my husband’s favorite recipe calls for confectioners’ sugar. You guessed it, no confectioners’ sugar in our house.

But then, in a flash, I was back to cake. I had discovered Emily Weinstein’s 2010 column which featured Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for French yogurt cake, which, by the way, is now my newest favorite recipe.

Dorie calls her cake a “confidence builder.” I totally agree. With just a couple of bowls and a whisk, the batter comes together like magic.

Dorie’s most ingenious trick is blending the granulated sugar and the fresh lemon zest together with her fingertips. It’s an extraordinary technique. You’ll feel the sugar getting moist and the sweet lemon smell will waft throughout your kitchen.

I did reduce the amount of the sugar from 1 cup to ¾ cup. Next time, I’ll try a generous ½ cup.

Don’t zest the lemon early, because fresh zest makes a difference.

I used ½ cup of almond flour, which has only one ingredient, ground almonds. Also, the almond flour has the same consistency as the all-purpose flour.

I used an 8 x 8 inch square baking dish and my cake was perfectly done in 33 minutes.

Instead of Dorie’s Marmalade Glaze, I made a simple glaze of lemon juice and sugar.

Dorie’s French Yogurt Cake, adapted from Dorie’s 2006 Baking from My Home to Yours

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup ground almonds (or, if you’d prefer, omit the almonds and use another 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

½ cup plain yogurt

3 large eggs

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower

Glaze:

½ cup lemon marmalade, strained, for glazing the top (optional)

1 teaspoon water, for glazing the top (optional)

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8 x 8 inch baking dish or a 9 x 2 inch round cake pan or 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, then, place on a lined baking sheet and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, if you’re using them, baking powder and salt and keep the bowl nearby.

Put the sugar and zest in a second bowl, medium-sized. Working with your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic.

Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla to the bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very well blended. Still whisking, stir in the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil. You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes for the square or round cake or 50 to 55 minutes for the loaf pan, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan. It will be golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.

To make Dorie’s glaze: Put the marmalade in a small pot or a microwave-safe bowl, stir in the teaspoon of water and heat (on the range or in the microwave oven) until the jelly is hot and liquefied. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the cake with the glaze.

To make Ellen’s glaze: Add a scant ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice to a small saucepan. Simmer until sugar is dissolved and syrup thickens a bit, about 3 minutes. Stir frequently. Brush warm glaze over top and sides of warm cake.

Serving: In France, this cake is usually served with a little sweetened crème fraiche, but it lends itself to other toppings as well. Fresh soft fruit, like sliced peaches or plums, is a natural with this as is berries with a touch of sugar. And, because the cake is plain and just a little tangy from the yogurt, it pairs happily with lemon cream, curd or mousse and is delicious with chocolate mousse or chocolate sauce.

Storing: Wrapped well, you can keep the cake at room temperature for at least 4 days and, like many pound cakes, it will be better one day later than it was the day it was made. If you do not glaze the cake, you can wrap it airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months; glazed it’s best not to freeze the cake.

Send any questions, comments or suggestions to Ellen Clifford McGuire, Readers’ Exchange, the Republican, P.O. Box 461, East Longmeadow, Ma. 01028 or email atEMCliffordMcGuire@hotmail.com. Please include your name, address, and phone.

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