Have you ever had a cake that was just perfect? Okay, not perfect per se but balanced. For me, it was the French yogurt cake recipe I got from Epicurious. I love yogurt, vanilla yogurt in particular so I decided to make a yogurt cake.
I was looking for a recipe that did not require the use of a mixer and i wanted a recipe that was not too sweet and would not require any special add-ons.
In summary, i was looking for an amazing yogurt cake recipe I could make any time.
I searched and found the French yogurt cake recipe from Epicurious.
The recipe and instructions
The ingredients in this recipe are basic items I always have in my pantry and the only special items were yogurt and the lemon zest.
I ended up using a tiny amount of lemon extract because I did not have enough lemon zest.
The instructions were easy to follow. It involved mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Afterward, you add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold it until just combined. Then you pour it into a loaf pan and bake it.
I made half of the written recipe, turned it into a 5-inch loaf pan, and baked it for 40-45 minutes.
When this cake was done, the smell was as if I was burning a lemon-yogurt candle; the smell wafted through my house and was divine. I could actually smell the yogurt.
The mixing process was easy; I used a whisk and sifted the dry ingredients so I would not have to fold too much before the batter was smooth.
After baking the cake, I made a thin glaze out of yogurt, powdered sugar and vanilla.
The texture
This cake baked up high, and I was not surprised because there was a lot of baking powder in this recipe. I attribute the amount of baking powder to the fact that there was no creaming in this recipe so there was no opportunity for the aeration of the batter to occur.
This cake was very fluffy, a little dense yet still light.
It was light enough to make you want to eat a ton of this cake without feeling guilty or heavy.
The french yogurt cake was also very moist. The yogurt and oil in the recipe guaranteed that dryness would not be an issue. The texture of this cake was very enjoyable.
The taste
This is where the French yogurt cake shines. The taste was where the balance was most prominent.
It was lightly sweet. Sufficiently sweet to be a breakfast item but not so sweet that eating a slice would make me feel guilty. There was a balance to the sweetness. With a little fruit by the side, this was a breakfast slice.
I could taste the lemon notes. Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar helped to release the oils in the zest and made it easier to taste. The aroma of the lemon was there, but the cake was not tangy or acidic.
The vanilla note was slightly there. It complimented the lemon notes without being overpowering.
This is why I say that this cake is well balanced. It is not too sweet, not bland, not too lemony or a vanilla overload.
Do I recommend this cake?
Definitely. This would make an excellent addition to any recipe book and would be a great holiday dessert. Serve with some fruits and whipped cream for breakfast or with a thin glaze and fruit as a dessert.
Pair this cake with fruits, cream, very light jam or curds but DO NOT sully this delicately flavored cake with buttercream. The buttercream will overpower every other flavor and you will have what seems like a bland cake.
Overall, this is an amazing recipe. I hope you try it and enjoy it. Get the recipe Here.
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