How to make lemon yogurt cake at home

Dine-in restaurants have been closed for almost two weeks now. Some of us might need inspiration in the kitchen. We get help from Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW’s Good Food. Today’s recipe: cake! 

Lovely Lemon Yogurt Cake from Odette William’s cookbook “Simple Cake

Makes one 9 by 2-inch round cake, or one 9 by 5-inch loaf cake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (290g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) grapeseed oil or any mild-flavored oil
  • 1 cup (230g) plain Greek full-fat yogurt
  • Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • Nana’s Simple Glaze
  • 1 cup (115g) confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the cake

-Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan with butter, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, and then grease the paper.

-Place a large sifter or a sieve in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and sift.

-In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, yogurt, zest, lemon juice, and sugar until combined.

-Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth.

-Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 35-45 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake bounces back when lightly pressed. Remove the cake and let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges to gently release the cake from the sides of the pan. Turn it out onto a wire rack and cool completely, removing the parchment paper. Dust generously with confectioner’s sugar, or top with Nana’s Simple Glaze.

For the glaze

-Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a small mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the sugar and add the butter and the lemon juice. Stir together until smooth. If you prefer a runnier consistency, add a bit more lemon juice (or water).