Yogurt cake.

As long as I remember I've always seen my mom made this cake for our after school snack. We would home back from school and know by the smell in the house what we will have with our cafe au lait or chocolate...Mmmmm. It's very easy to make and even easier to love, it is often the first cake that French kids learn how to bake.

It is a fluffy, cloud-like and moist cake, not too sweet, and just perfect for any time of day...breakfast, dessert, afternoon snack, any time at all really. I like to dunk mine in my morning cafe au lait, for me it's the best way to eat it.

It is particularly tasty fresh out of the oven when it is warm and crusty (do let it cool for about half an hour), but it will keep delightfully well wrapped in foil for a few days. It even gets better when the top becomes soft and melts in your mouth!!

You can make a lot of varations of this cake, you can add lemon juice and lemon zest (one of my all time favorite!!) you can flavour it with rum, make a marble cake with chocolate...your own taste is the limit. Today I made mine plain, my kids prefer it this way...

Preheat the oven to 350° F, line the bottom of a round 10-inch (25cm) cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.

In a large mixing-bowl, combine the yogurt, flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. I know the order can seem bizzare  and also lumpy but in my opinion it makes the cake taste better....call me weird!!!

Then add the eggs 1 at the time, until each is fully incorporated, see how lumpy it is, so don't be scared!

Add the vanilla paste or liquid, sorry couldn't resist baking is an art...and now the batter is all smooth

And lastly the oil, I put melted butter because I run out of oil...mix it in gently

   
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand for ten minutes, and transfer onto a rack to cool.

Like I said it's better to eat it when it's a little bit warm, with a nice cup of tea..mmmmm

 

Gâteau au Yaourt

 

- 2 eggs

- 250ml (1 cup) plain unsweetened yogurt (I often  use vanilla yogurt) if you use 8oz tub, you can use it to measure out the rest of the ingredients

- 1 cup sugar (1 yogurt tub)
- 80ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil (or a bit less than 1 yogurt tub)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or 2 yogurt tubs)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- a good pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste/extract