Pucker Up!

Valentine's Day is traditionally all about chocolate, but this terrific Lemon Yogurt Cake will make you pucker up!

The original recipe is from the incomparable Ina Garten.  I have adapted it slightly because I rhink that the original recipe was a little confusing.

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Slightly adapted from Ina Garten
(click here to print)

Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt (fat-free is fine)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest (3 small lemons)
• • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (Ina doesn't put juice in the cake, but it increases the pucker power!)
  • 1//2 tsp. vanilla (or lemon oil, if you have it)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• For the syrup:
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 2 1/2 inch or similar).


Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and zest, vanilla and oil.  Mix well.


Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until ingredients are combined.

Pour into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  While the loaf is cooling, heat the syrup ingredients in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved.  Loosen the cake from the pan by running a knife around the edge.  Invert onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan or plate.  Slowly pour the syrup over the warm cake so that it is absorbed.

If you do this slowly, there is no need to poke holes in the cake.  Cool to room temperature.


Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the top, allowing the excess to drip over the sides.  Slice and serve.

Leftovers can be wrapped in foil and kept at room temperature.  This stays moist and delicious for a few days, if it lasts that long! 


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