I like recipes that taste difficult but aren’t, that use everyday ingredients easy for me to get or probably have already, and don’t take long to make.  Bonus plus is if they minimise dirty appliances and/or dishes.  Here’s a sure hit that’s really most (somehow) and not too sweet (but sweet enough to give you a fix).

Time:

About 65 minutes

Serves:

10

Good for:

• People coming for tea/afternoon- tea
• Quick add on dessert
• Breakfast time sweet

Ingredients:

• ½ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• grated lemon zest from 1 medium-size lemon
• ½ cup sunflower or canola oil

      For the glaze:

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¾ cup of powdered sugar

Kitchen things you’ll need:

• Zester or shredder
• Cutting board and knife
• Hand mixer/or table top mixer
• Medium to large Bowl
• Small bowl for the glaze mix
• 9 Inch spring pan (buttered, or spray oiled)
• A toothpick to test the cake

      Not must (but would be nice) items:

• Parchment paper
• A wire rack

Making it:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Spray the round cake pan with baking spray or rub with room temp butter rub.   You can line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper lightly, but not a must – instead you can put a little flout at the bottom of the buttered pan. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs – stirring until well blended.
• Add the flour, baking powder, salt and zest, mixing to just combine.
• Add the oil and stir well. Don’t worry, at first it will seem to separate, but keep stirring till smooth.
• Pour the batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean (every oven is different, so check with the toothpick test rather than the time). Be careful not to over bake though.
• Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; then turn it out of the pan onto the rack.
• Combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and stir until smooth. With a pastry brush, gently pat the glaze all over the cake. Just keep going over the cake till the glaze is gone. Some of it will drip off, but most of it will soak in. Allow cake to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and serve.

Tips/notes:

• You don’t have to put the glaze, instead you can decorate with lemon slices (or both), you can also garnish with more dollops of yogurt.
• Doesn’t taste the same with alternative flours (i.e. almond) – I tried. But you may still try that, you might like it more.
• Can add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the dry ingredients if you want to add a bit of spice, a nice kick.