lemon yogurt cake

(see a later version i did of this cake here)

you may want to make sure not to be left alone with this cake for more than a minute or so, or you'll find yourself innocently slicing a way tiny bits and slivers until you suddenly realize you've eaten half the cake. it's super lemony and super moist, to use a word i hate.


lemon yogurt cake
adapted from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of ina garten.

nocoupons

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

for glaze:nocoupons

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar*
• 2 tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice

preheat the oven to 350° F. grease and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.

sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. in another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.

slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. with a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

meanwhile, combine the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. set aside.

when the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. pierce all over with a skewer, all the way through cake. while the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. cool.

for the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

*i still have refused to buy confectioner's sugar, more out of stubbornness than anything else. to make a glaze without it, i mixed about 1/2 cup (i couldn't really stomach piling a whole additional cup of sugar on top of this already very sugary cake) granulated sugar with a few tbsps lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar dissolved and a syrup formed. i let this cool about 15 minutes until it thickened up nicely, and then poured it over the cake and let it set for about 20 minutes before cutting.