When life gives you lemons, make French yogurt cake - Marin Independent Journal

Living in Northern California, we are blessed with exceptional local products. From produce to dairy and olive oil to wine, you could pretty much fill your pantry and refrigerator with all things local.

(Photo by Carolyn Jensen) — Photo by Carolyn Jensen
Use the best ingredients for a flavorful French yogurt cake.

And at this time of year, there is an abundance of trees dripping with all types of citrus. Driving around Marin County, I see home gardens full of orange and lemon trees and occasionally kumquat, mandarin or lime in yards that I pass.

I adore lemons, and about 10 years ago, I planted four Eureka lemon trees. Each winter, these trees provide quite a bounty, so I’m always looking for new ways to use them. Lemons are a kitchen staple; they can be added to almost anything to give a dish a bright hit. I preserve jars of lemons, extract and freeze the juice, make limoncello, cookies, cakes … you get the idea, I use them a lot!

If you don’t grow or have access to a lemon tree, local farmers markets are the place to go. Not only will you find Eureka lemons, but also many other types such as Meyer, variegated, Lisbon and the interesting Buddha’s hand are the varieties I see most often.

One of my go-to recipes is this French yogurt cake. It’s simple, easy and quick to make, using only two bowls to create a tender pound cake perfect for afternoon tea or as an after-school treat.

Use the best ingredients you can find to make this flavorful cake. I recommend Straus Greek yogurt — it’s local and made with minimal ingredients, and it is a key ingredient to the moist texture of this cake.

Carolyn Jensen is a culinary explorer who is devoted to shopping farmers markets for locally sourced, extraordinary and seasonal foods. She shares her weekly bounty through photos, tips and recipes on Instagram at gatherweekly. You can email her at jensencarolyn@comcast.net

RECIPE

French yogurt cake

8 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting the pan)

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

¾ cup Greek whole-milk plain yogurt

½ cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a standard (8½-inch-by-4¼-inch) loaf pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess.

Whisk 1½ cups all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest, using your fingers, rub the two together until sugar is moist. Add the yogurt, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.

Fold in the dry ingredients and blend. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack; let cool completely. Cake can be stored in an airtight container for three days.

— Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

Let's block ads! (Why?)